Research Shows Alarming Rates of LGBT Student Victimization in
Pennsylvania Thousands of Pennsylvania Students to Participate
in Day of Silence on Friday PENNSYLVANIA, April 16, 2009 -
Pennsylvania schools are unsafe places for LGBT (lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender) youth, according to a new GLSEN
research brief released as Pennsylvania students prepare for the
13th annual National Day of Silence on Friday. Inside
Pennsylvania Schools: The Experiences of LGBT Students, a report
based on findings from 242 Pennsylvania students who
participated in the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education
Network's 2007 National School Climate Survey, shows that
Pennsylvania LGBT students face extreme levels of harassment and
assault, skip school at alarming rates because of feeling unsafe
and perform poorer in school when they are more frequently
harassed. Pennsylvania is one of 43 states that does not
explicitly protect students from bullying and harassment based
on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. "As