Main article: Day of Silence
GLSEN's Day of Silence is a national day of action that began at the University of Virginia in 1996 in which students vow to take a form of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBTQ bullying and harassment in schools.24 GLSEN's Day of Silence takes place in 8,000 U.S. schools every year and has spread to more than 60 countries.
Every January, thousands of elementary and middle schools participate in GLSEN's No Name-Calling Week to end bullying. No Name-Calling Week was inspired by the popular young adult novel entitled The Misfits by popular author James Howe, and is supported by over 60 national partner organizations.25
Main article: Ally Week
Every fall, GLSEN's Ally Week serves to educate allies about the role they play in creating safer spaces for LGBTQ youth. Ally Week was started in 2005 by GLSEN's Jump-Start National Student Leadership team.26 Ally Week is supported by over 20 endorsers.
Main article: Think Before You Speak (campaign)
On October 8, 2008, GLSEN and Ad Council released the Think Before You Speak campaign, designed to end homophobic vocabulary and raise awareness about the prevalence and consequences of anti-LGBTQ bias and behavior in America's schools among youth, through the use of television, radio, print, and outdoor ads.2728 The campaign also aimed to raise awareness among adults, school personnel, and parents. It includes three television public service announcements (PSAs), six print PSAs and three radio PSAs. Television commercials for the campaign include singer Hilary Duff as well as comedian Wanda Sykes. In 2008 the campaign won the Ad Council's Gold Bell award for "Best Public Service Advertising Campaign".
GLSEN has been conducting research and evaluation on LGBTQ issues in K-12 education since 1999. GLSEN became the only organization to regularly document the school experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) middle and high school students in the U.S. using GLSEN's National School Climate Survey. Other research reports GLSEN has put out include From Statehouse to Schoolhouse: Anti-Bullying Policies in U.S. States and School Districts, Shared Differences: The Experiences of LGBTQ Students of Color in Our Nation's Schools, Harsh Realities: The Experiences of Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools, as well as many other reports, articles, and book chapters.29
The GLSEN National Student Council, formerly known as the Student Ambassadors program, is one of GLSEN's student leadership teams.30 Each year, GLSEN selects a small group of middle and high school students to serve as GLSEN youth representatives for the upcoming school year. Students of the National Student Council advise GLSEN on campaigns, bring GLSEN resources to their schools, represent GLSEN in the media, and have their own work published in local and national outlets.
GLSEN Chapters, with the support and guidance of the national office, work to bring GLSEN programs to their specific communities on a local level. Chapter board members and volunteers are students, educators, parents and community members who volunteer their time to support students and Gay-Straight Alliances, train educators and provide opportunities for everyone to make change in their local schools. GLSEN has 38 volunteer-led GLSEN Chapters in 26 states that work with student leaders, provide professional development for educators, and encourage policymakers to enact LGBTQ-inclusive policies.31
GLSEN organizes the annual GLSEN Respect Awards to honor leaders, personalities, and organizations who have made significant contributions to LGBTQ youth. Awards are given to organizations, celebrities, students, educators and gay–straight alliances. Since 2004, there have been over four dozen honorees and over $15 million raised in all.3233 The first Respect Awards were in New York in 2004 and honored Andrew Tobias, author and Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee; MTV; and student Marina Gatto. Since then, the Respect Awards are held annually in New York in late May and in Los Angeles in late October. Since 2004, there have been over four-dozen honorees and over $17 million raised.
Main article: Fistgate
In 2000, the leader of the conservative Parents' Rights Coalition of Massachusetts (now known as MassResistance) secretly taped one of the 50 workshops in "Teachout 2000", titled "What They Didn't Tell You About Queer Sex and Sexuality in Health Class: Workshop for Youth Only, Ages 14–21".34 Students discussed sex in a workshop "billed as a safe place for youths to get their questions about their sexuality answered" in the session's Q&A section. A question was asked about fisting a minor and an explanation was provided.35 Greg Carmack subsequently suggested that the question might have been planted by those making the recordings.36 MassResistance dubbed the incident "Fistgate"3738 and the tapes generated controversy when they were broadcast over radio.39 A state employee who participated in the discussion and was subsequently dismissed filed suit against Camenker and Scott Whiteman as a result of the distribution of the tape recordings,40 while others pointed out the legal prohibition against recording people without their knowledge or permission.41 According to Bay Windows, a "Massachusetts Superior Court judge ruled that the tape was illegally acquired and therefore an invasion of privacy against those individuals present, who were never told they were being recorded."42
"GLSEN chapters". Retrieved February 24, 2018. http://www.glsen.org/chapters ↩
"GLSEN Safe Space Kit: Be an ALLY to LGBTQ Youth!". GLSEN. Retrieved May 31, 2019. https://www.glsen.org/safespace ↩
Palmer, Neal A.; Greytak, Emily A. (May 17, 2017). "LGBTQ Student Victimization and Its Relationship to School Discipline and Justice System Involvement". Criminal Justice Review. 42 (2): 163–187. doi:10.1177/0734016817704698. S2CID 149429285. /w/index.php?title=Criminal_Justice_Review&action=edit&redlink=1 ↩
"Making Schools Safe for Gay and Lesbian Youth". February 25, 1993. Retrieved January 17, 2024. https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/server/api/core/bitstreams/4c45a237-d352-461c-b06d-29fa422f1ddf/content ↩
"Annual 'Day of Silence' combats anti-LGBTQ hate and bias". NBC News. April 21, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/annual-day-silence-combats-anti-lgbtq-hate-bias-n749331 ↩
"Just the Facts about Sexual Orientation and Youth: A Primer for Principals, Educators and School Personnel" (PDF). Retrieved November 11, 2015. http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/just-the-facts.pdf ↩
"Obama calls for an end to conversion therapy". HuffPost. April 9, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/08/obama-lgbt-conversion-therapy_n_7029648.html ↩
"Inductees to the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame". Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame (GLHF). Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved November 1, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151017032241/http://www.glhalloffame.org/index.pl?page=inductees&todo=year ↩
"SSIA". May 5, 2009. Retrieved November 11, 2015. http://www.glsen.org/article/safe-schools-improvement-act-s-311hr-2902 ↩
"No Name-Calling Week". National Today. Retrieved January 18, 2024. https://nationaltoday.com/no-name-calling-week/ ↩
"From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America, A Survey of Students and Teachers" (PDF). 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 22, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20161022194530/http://www.glsenboston.org/GLSENFromTeasingToTorment.pdf ↩
"The Principal's Perspective: School Safety, Bullying and Harassment" (PDF). 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 2, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202001222/http://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/The%20Principals%20Perspective.pdf ↩
"Harsh Realities: The Experiences of Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools" (PDF). Retrieved November 11, 2015. https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/Harsh%20Realities.pdf ↩
"Shared Differences: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students of Color in our Nation's Schools" (PDF). Retrieved November 11, 2015. https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/Shared%20Differences.pdf ↩
"Safe Space Kit". Retrieved November 11, 2015. http://www.glsen.org/safespace ↩
"White House honors GLSEN". August 31, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2015. http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=33519 ↩
"Strengths and Silences: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students in Rural and Small Town Schools" (PDF). 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2015. https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/Strengths%20%26%20Silences.pdf ↩
"Out Online: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth" (PDF). Retrieved November 11, 2015. http://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/Out%20Online%20FINAL.pdf ↩
Yurcaba, Jo (January 26, 2022). "National LGBTQ group GLSEN appoints first Black, nonbinary executive director". NBC News. Retrieved January 30, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-community-voices/national-lgbtq-group-glsen-appoints-first-black-nonbinary-executive-di-rcna13674 ↩
"GLSEN Announces Wilson Cruz as Chair of Board, Imara Jones as Vice Chair". GLSEN. July 27, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2024. https://www.glsen.org/news/glsen-announces-wilson-cruz-chair-board-imara-jones-vice-chair ↩
Campbell, Hailey. "Suffolk reflects during LGBTQ+ History Month". The Suffolk Journal. Retrieved January 18, 2024. https://thesuffolkjournal.com/30886/news/lgbtq-history-month/ ↩
"The Campaign". October 8, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved October 9, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081011074318/http://www.thinkb4youspeak.com/TheCampaign/ ↩
"Think Before You Speak". October 9, 2008. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081012110549/http://pinkisthenewblog.com/home/2008/10/think-before-you-speak/ ↩
"GLSEN Research". Retrieved November 11, 2015. http://www.glsen.org/research ↩
"GLSEN National Student Council". Archived from the original on November 2, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151102010449/http://www.glsen.org/participate/student-action/leadership-team ↩
"2019 GLSEN Respect Awards - New York". GLSEN. Retrieved May 31, 2019. https://www.glsen.org/2019-respect-awards-new-york ↩
"Press | GLSEN". www.glsen.org. Retrieved May 31, 2019. https://www.glsen.org/press ↩
"The Fistgate Report". Massachusetts News. Archived from the original on April 7, 2003. Retrieved June 8, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20030407022910/http://www.massnews.com/past_issues/2000/Schools/fistrep.htm ↩
Kiritsy, Laura (May 25, 2000). "Firestorm over GLSEN sex education workshop worsens". Bay Windows. Retrieved June 8, 2008.[permanent dead link] via EBSCOHost accession number 15750379 http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&id=63595 ↩
Carmack, Greg (August 3, 2000). "Was GLSEN 'fistgate' controversy a contrivance?". Bay Windows. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20181119053339/http://www.baywindows.com/was-glsen-fistgate-controversy-a-contrivance-63681 ↩
"Critics contend safe-sex forum far too graphic". The Union-News. May 17, 2000. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved June 8, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080704113324/http://www.personproject.org/Alerts/States/Massachusetts/controversy.html ↩
Hayward, Ed (May 17, 2000). "Graphic gay-sex workshop under fire". The Boston Herald. Archived from the original on March 11, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2008. Paywall-free copy Archived July 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine https://web.archive.org/web/20170311042541/https://business.highbeam.com/3972/article-1G1-62145428/graphic-gaysex-workshop-under-fire ↩
Greenberger, Scott (November 28, 2000). "Educator fired for sex discussion sues to reclaim job". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on August 8, 2008. Retrieved June 8, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080808140624/http://www.personproject.org/Alerts/States/Massachusetts/lawsuit.html ↩
Berlo, Beth (December 20, 2001). "GLSEN national poll shows wide support amongst parents for gay youth protections". Bay Windows. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20181119060548/http://www.baywindows.com/glsen-national-poll-shows-wide-support-amongst-parents-for-gay-youth-protections-60097 ↩