June 26: Carolyn Laub to speak on LGBT-safe schools
June 26, 2012 •
Carolyn Laub, founder and executive director of the Gay-Straight Alliance Network, will speak about creating safe and inclusive schools for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth as part of the President’s Speaker Series.
The talk, which is co-sponsored by OP Pride, is 12 to 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 26, in Franklin Lobby 1 Conference Room.
In her talk, “On California: Safe, Fair, and Inclusive Schools for LGBT Youth,” Laub will describe the state of California’s K-12 schools for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth, including harassment and discrimination LGBT youth face and what research says about effective solutions to create safer schools.
Based on her leadership in the LGBT safe schools movement in California for the past 15 years, Laub will provide her perspective on how anti-bullying policies are helping or harming young people, and what we can expect in the future as policies such as the FAIR Education Act go into effect.
The Gay-Straight Alliance Network is the nation’s largest youth-driven organization that empowers youth to fight homophobia and transphobia in schools.
Laub’s activism has mobilized a vibrant and diverse LGBTQ and straight ally youth movement, by expanding the number of Gay-Straight Alliance clubs in California high schools and middle schools from 40 in 1998 to more than 875 in 2012. The GSA Network’s successful youth-led organizing model is being replicated in other states.
Laub helped lead the effort to pass California’s school nondiscrimination law, the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000. Her organization has trained youth who have successfully advocated for passage of 10 pieces of legislation supporting the health and safety of LGBTQ youth.
In 2000, Laub was honored as one of the first U.S. recipients of the international Ashoka Fellowship for her work as a social entrepreneur. This year, she received the prestigious James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award for her innovative youth empowerment model.
The President’s Speaker Series, “On California,” was initiated by President Mark Yudof last year to showcase the talent and public contributions of UC faculty, alumni and other prominent Californians in the areas of education, policy/politics and research.
