Great News for Safe Schools from New Jersey

Allison Bauer and MK Cullen, GLSEN

On Friday September 6th, Governor McGreevey signed A 1874 into law. This long awaited signing of a new anti-harassment bill was a great victory for safe school activists in New Jersey, as the legislation specifically includes sexual orientation and gender identity as distinctive protected categories. This makes New Jersey only the third state in the country to explicitly protect transgender students. What is important to note about the New Jersey situation is that this bill actually builds upon the state's existing Law Against Discrimination, which prohibits discrimination in public institutions, including schools, on the basis of real or perceived sexual orientation.

While the new legislation strengthens the existing legal obligations by including gender identity in addition to specific requirements for schools to adopt, implement and publicize policies and procedures for addressing instances of bullying and harassment, it is only as good as its implementation. It is certainly a statement about the lack of implementation and enforcement of the existing non-discrimination law that new legislation needed to be introduced. While it was terrific victory to have gender identity added, all of this will be meaningless if we do not continue to work to ensure that the law's requirements are followed by schools in the state.

This is a great example of the type of success we can have working in coalition as GLSEN chapters, GLSEN National, NGLTF and HRC all worked together on this legislation. We look forward to future success in your states!

click here for GLSEN press release
click here for NJ Governor's office press release