A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of the Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools Initiative, a call to action to communities across the United States to demand equal educational opportunity, basic civil rights protections, and freedom from erasure for all students, particularly LGBTQI+ young people, in K-12 schools.

This Senate Resolution expresses support for the goals and ideals of the Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools Initiative , a nationwide call to action. The initiative aims to secure equal educational opportunities, fundamental civil rights protections, and freedom from erasure for all students, particularly LGBTQI+ young people, within K-12 educational settings. It emphasizes the necessity for schools to be inclusive and affirming environments, free from various forms of discrimination. The resolution highlights the significant challenges faced by LGBTQI+ youth, including frequent experiences of bias-based bullying, harassment, and discrimination, which can lead to punitive discipline and increased risk of entering the school-to-prison pipeline. It notes the introduction of over 200 anti-LGBTQI+ education bills annually in state legislatures, many specifically targeting transgender and nonbinary students through measures like sports bans, bathroom restrictions, and censorship of LGBTQI+ content in curricula. Such discriminatory practices are linked to negative outcomes for students, including lower academic performance, reduced school belonging, and higher rates of depression and suicidal ideation. In response to these issues, the Senate resolves to support the Rise Up Initiative and recognize the efforts of those participating in events like the National Day of (No) Silence, which draws attention to the discrimination faced by LGBTQI+ students. The resolution further encourages every state, territory, and locality to actively support the Initiative by adopting laws and policies designed to prohibit bias-based victimization, exclusion, and the erasure of LGBTQI+ individuals from educational environments and curricula.