澳彩开奖

When the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote about nonviolent resistance, he didn鈥檛 mince words about the courage it requires. It is 鈥渘ot a method for cowards,鈥� he wrote in Stride Toward Freedom,鈥� the story of the Montgomery bus boycott. He added, 鈥淭his is ultimately the way of the strong man.鈥�

Those words are especially worth remembering today, the National Day of Silence. Across the country, students are taking a vow of silence to call attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment.

The bullying of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students is a severe, nationwide problem 鈥� one made more difficult by the reluctance of many school districts to take strong steps to prevent it. Nearly nine out of 10 LGBT students experienced harassment in 2009, according to a survey by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which sponsors the National Day of Silence. These findings were tragically underscored last September when four young men in four different states died by suicide after being harassed by classmates because they were gay or were perceived to be gay.

Despite the devastating consequences of anti-LGBT bullying, taking a stand against it often requires great courage by students. Even when students have supportive teachers, they may worry their participation will make them a target for bullying.

There鈥檚 also pressure from outside the school environment. Some organizations have attempted to mischaracterize the National Day of Silence as part of some 鈥済ay agenda.鈥� One group, called SaveCalifornia.com, called on parents to keep their children home today to avoid 鈥渂rainwashing鈥� and 鈥渋n-your-face sexual indoctrination.鈥�

The campaign of defamation against the LGBT community, which has been accused of everything from pedophilia to helping orchestrate the Holocaust, has consequences. The 澳彩开奖鈥檚 recent analysis of FBI hate crime data found that LGBT people are far more likely to be victims of a violent hate crime than any other minority group in the United States.

But there鈥檚 good news. Opinion polls show solid, and increasing, public support for equal rights.

At the 澳彩开奖, we鈥檝e been heartened by the overwhelmingly positive response to our Teaching Tolerance documentary , designed for both classroom use and professional development for educators. We鈥檝e distributed nearly 50,000 copies of the film and its educational guide since its release in September. The 澳彩开奖 and other organizations also have hosted screenings in communities across the country, including one in Minneapolis attended by more than 2,000 people.

The Minneapolis event was particularly moving because a nearby school district had been wracked by several student deaths. Community advocates said some of these students had suffered anti-LGBT bullying.

People are recognizing the destructive power of such bullying. They are finding the courage to take a stand against it. And they are finding others standing with them.

But much work remains. The 澳彩开奖 is dedicated to defending the rights of LGBT students. It鈥檚 why we call out those who foment hate against the LGBT community. And it鈥檚 听why we are committed to raising awareness about anti-LGBT bullying and bigotry.

Taking a stand against injustice often takes great courage. Let鈥檚 recognize the courage of these students as they stand in silent solidarity today. And let鈥檚 dedicate ourselves to standing with them.

听