News & Commentary

"This form is different from the 'Williams Complaint Form' which is used for complaints regarding school facilities." Not many students that are harassed or discriminated against in schools are aware of their resources and many don't have the chance to read the statement above in the complaint section of the California Department of Education's website.

James Gilliam, pictured with Judy Shepard (left) and Jane Velez-Mitchell. “I remember those painful years of growing up being bullied and harassed in my home state of Tennessee just because I was gay,” said Gilliam. “No child should have to suffer humiliation or die by his own hand simply because of who he is. I’m proud to direct a project that works to protect LGBTQ students and to serve as an example that they can lead fulfilling, proud lives and not live in fear.” Gilliam has been the deputy executive director of the ACLU/SC since 2010. Before joining the civil liberties organization, he was a litigation associate and pro bono coordinator at Paul Hastings. He served as co-chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Sexual Orientation Bias committee for several years and has served on the board of directors for the National LGBT Bar Association. He teaches seminars on sexual orientation law and public interest law practice at Loyola Law School. “We feel privileged to work with someone as courageous as James, who has dedicated himself to stop bullying and help save the lives of LGBTQ students,” said Hector Villagra, executive director of the ACLU/SC. “James has become a national spokesperson on the issue of bullying, and we are extremely proud that people around the country are looking to the Seth Walsh Student Rights Project and James as a resource for addressing bullying and the fa

This post originally appeared in The Tennessean. This week’s news of another suicide by a young student—brought about after years of anti-gay bullying at his school—reminds me of my own experiences attending schools in Tennessee twenty years ago. Unfortunately, it seems little has changed.

Chaz Bono doing the samba on Dancing with the Stars and Isis King posing fiercely on the All Stars cycle of America’s Next Top Model may mark the first time two positive transgender role models have broken through to the mainstream at the same time. That’s real progress for the widespread acceptance of the trans community, but not all trans people have the support that Chaz and Isis enjoy.

GSAs (Gay Straight Alliances) help create a positive school environment, which is the objective of the ACLU/SC's student rights project. Excerpted from the ACLU Blog of Rights: GSAs are school clubs that aim to create safe and supportive environments for students to learn about homophobia, transphobia, and other types of oppression and prejudice. They are places to have important discussions, to make friends, and to get support from peers. They can help educate the school community — even people who aren’t in the club — about issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity. And they can help fight the discrimination, harassment, and violence that plague so many students.

Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, Wendy Walsh and sponsoring organizations held a press conference to celebrate Governor Jerry Brown’s signing of AB 9, Seth’s Law, into law. The bill passed the Assembly 52-26 on June 1st  and the Senate 24-14 on September 1st, with Governor Brown signing the bill on October 9th.

Seth Walsh was a typical 13-year-old. He loved dogs and riding his bike, listening to music, and hanging out with friends. But he was also terrified of going to school. The gentle, free-spirited boy from rural Kern County, who listened to Mozart in the shower and aspired to be a doctor, endured relentless harassment from classmates because he was gay.

The ACLU of Southern California celebrates LGBT History Month by participating in several events that highlight the LGBT community's rich history and ongoing struggle for equality.