[Updated July 28]
The Boy Scouts of America has ended its national ban on gay Scout leaders, though the new policy has a controversial religious exemption. Click here or on ‘Read More’ to view the full post.
Students, Backed by ACLU, Head to Trial in Lake County (Florida) Gay-Straight Alliance Case

It’s certainly frustrating that the school board, after all this time, is still fighting this club. (Some readers may recall that one Lake County School Board member told me in a ridiculous email almost two years ago that the board had “not blocked the GSA.” That statement, evidently, was false. Around the same time, another school board member inappropriately questioned a middle school student’s sexual orientation in an email to blogger Katy Bourne.)
Nevertheless, I am inspired by the tenacity and courage of the students, their families, their attorneys, and their many other allies. I wish them much luck (though they shouldn’t need it) as they continue their work to overcome the misunderstandings, misinformation, unfounded fears, hostility, and bias that have run rampant in Lake County over this issue. Click here or on ‘Read More’ to view the full post.
SPLC Settles with Mississippi School District to Stop Anti-LGBT Bullying
The Southern Poverty Law Center has reached a settlement with Mississippi’s Moss Point School District in a case involving Destin Holmes, a student who faced anti-LGBT bullying and harassment not only by classmates but by faculty and administrators.
Click here or on ‘Read More’ to view the full post.
Does MA’s Bullying Law Require Schools to Recognize “Categories of Students, Including LGBTQ Students”?
There was great news last week for safe-schools and LGBT-equality advocates in Massachusetts, where the governor signed a measure strengthening the state’s anti-bullying law.
The many advocates who worked for the bill’s passage—including the organization Mass Equality and state Attorney General Martha Coakley—deserve wholehearted thanks and congratulations from those who believe in safe schools for all youth. Still, it’s worth pointing out an inaccuracy that appears in statements issued by the law’s supporters as well as in the media. Some advocates, journalists and bloggers have suggested that the law requires schools to single out specific groups, including LGBTQ students, for special protections. This is incorrect, though I recognize that the law may appear ambiguous on this point, at least at first glance.
Clarifying this issue may help prevent confusion among those who must work to implement the law; it may also help ensure that, moving forward, safe-schools advocates who favor inclusive policies don’t inadvertently feed into anti-LGBT talking points. Click here or on ‘Read More’ to view the full post.