In a release issued yesterday the Orange County Equality Coalition (OCEC), an organization committed to protecting the rights of the local LGBT (lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community, has called upon the the administrators and faculty, to get additional training on anti-Gay bullying. While the group commends administrators at FUHS [Fullerton Union High School] for making this public apology to a student who was disqualified from the school’s annual “Mr. Fullerton” competition because of statements expressing his identity as a gay youth, they say it’s just not enough.
“The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students are ensured under California safe schools laws and Fullerton Union High has taken the right step in issuing this apology,” says OCEC Co Chair, Daniel Shad. “The rights of LGBT students are not a matter of politics, they are guaranteed under the law,” says Shad.
Since this initial April 3rd incident, additional allegedly discriminatory acts made by the school’s principal and teachers have come to the attention of OCEC members via a Facebook page made by FUHS students. According to OCEC Co Chair Rosanne Faul;
“OCEC exists in part to ensure that the LGBT students here in Orange County receive the kind of fair and equal education that all students deserve and are entitled to under the law. We are calling on the administrators and teachers at Fullerton Union High to support their LGBT students by enrolling in Cal State Fullerton’s first-of-its-kind course [on Anti-Bullying]. We need administrators and teachers to be proactive in getting the information they need to support LGBT students; this is an excellent way for them to do this.”
More information on the CSU Fullerton LGBT Anti-Bullying course can be found here: http://extension.fullerton.edu/bullying/
