Quels sont mes droits en tant qu’étudiant LGBTQ+ ?

All Rhode Island public school students have the right:

  • Pour être en sécurité à l’école sans être victime d’intimidation,
  • To be protected from discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation,
    gender identity or HIV status.
  • To access information about LGBTQ subjects including educational websites,
    S'habiller et se présenter d'une manière cohérente avec son identité de genre,
  • To free speech and expression. This means you have the right to express ideas
    that may offend other people and you have the right to disagree with others, as
    long as you express those ideas in a respectful way.

All Rhode Island public and many private school students have the right:

  • To form a Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) that gets treated the same as every
    other non-curricular group. This means equal funding, access to facilities, and
    the ability to choose your group’s name.

En dehors de l’école, vous avez le droit :

  • To be protected from discrimination based on your actual or perceived sexual
    orientation, HIV status, or gender identity in employment, housing, and public
    accommodations (like restaurants or stores).
  • To give your own consent to get tested for HIV without your parents’
    permission. For more specific information, see the “HIV/AIDS” Issue Area.
  • To report to the police anyone in or out of school who physically harms you,
    threatens you, or vandalizes your property.

Are there any laws protecting LGBTQ+ students from bullying in Rhode Island?

Yes. In 2011, Rhode Island passed the “Safe Schools Act” that applies to all school districts, charter schools, career, and technical schools, and approved private day or residential schools in Rhode Island.

It defines “bullying” as written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof directed at a student by one or more students that:

  • causes or places the student in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or
    damage to the student’s property,
  • creates an intimidating, threatening, hostile, or abusive educational environment,
    infringes on the rights of the student to participate in school activities, or
  • disrupts the educational process or orderly operation of the school (R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-21-33(a)(1)).

The law identifies characteristics that may be reasonably perceived to have motivated the act of “bullying” as including race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-21-33(a)(1)(v)).

The law goes on to define “cyber-bullying” as bullying through the use of technology or electronic communication (R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-21-33(a)(2)).

The law charges the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (RIDE) to prescribe a statewide bullying policy that must be adopted by all schools by June 30, 2012.

The policy must include:

  • procedures for students, staff, parents and others to report bullying,
  • procedures for promptly responding to and investigating reports of bullying or retaliation,
  • the range of disciplinary actions that may be taken,
    a parental engagement strategy,
  • procedures for restoring a sense of safety for the student,
    strategies for protecting a person who reports bullying or assists in the investigation,
  • procedures for promptly notifying the parents of both the perpetrator and victim,
  • procedures for providing appropriate counseling for the victim, perpetrator, and others affected by the bullying (R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-21-34)

Are there other sources of protection for LGBTQ+ students in Rhode Island?

Yes. A Board of Regents Policy adopted in 1997 and revised in 2010 provides in part as follows:

“all students, without exception, have the right to attend a school in which they feel safe and able to express their identity without fear… certain students, because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, have been subject to discrimination through abuse, harassment, bullying and/or exclusion from full participation in educational activities.

Therefore, it is the Policy of the Board of Regents that no student shall be excluded from any educational program or activity or discriminated against, bullied, or harassed in any public educational setting based upon actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity/expression… This policy shall include but is not limited to admissions, guidance services, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities.

Each local school district is urged to review programs, services, and activities to assure that such offerings are conducted in a manner that is free of inadvertent or intentional bias based upon sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression. Each local school district is required by law to address harassment and bullying based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression through the development and enforcement
of appropriate student and staff behavior and disciplinary policies…”

The Board of Regents policy can be found at: http://www.thriveri.org/documents/RIDE%20Policy%20Statement%20on%20Discrimi

Les écoles peuvent-elles réglementer les politiques de lutte contre l’intimidation en dehors des cours scolaires ?

Oui, la Cour suprême des États-Unis District scolaire de Mahanoy c. BL en plus de conclure que les étudiants ont de larges droits de parole et d'expression en dehors de l'école, il a également déclaré :

“Circumstances that may implicate a school’s regulatory interests [outside school] include serious or severe bullying or harassment targeting particular individuals; threats aimed at teachers or other students”

Does Rhode Island have guidance schools should follow to protect transgender students?

Yes, in 2016, the Rhode Island Department of Education created guidance for schools to follow to protect the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming students.

La politique modèle comprend les éléments suivants :

  • Les écoles doivent respecter le nom et les pronoms d’un élève transgenre ;
  • Schools should respect transgender students’ privacy regarding any
    medical information, previous names, etc.;
  • The name and gender on a student’s records should conform to the
    student’s gender identity;
  • Transgender students should be able to use the restroom, locker room, and
    changing facility that accord with their gender identity;
  • In any sex-segregated activities (including athletics), transgender students
    should be able to participate in a manner consistent with their gender
    identity.

For more details, see: Guidance for Rhode Island Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students

Existe-t-il des lois fédérales qui protègent les étudiants ?

Yes, Title IX prohibits discrimination against students based on sex in any school or college that receives federal funds. In light of the Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which determined that sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination are forms of sex discrimination, the federal Department of Education, which enforces Title IX, has stated that it will interpret any sexual orientation or gender
identity discrimination as sex discrimination.

Pour déposer une plainte auprès du Bureau des droits civils du ministère fédéral de l'Éducation, voir :
Comment déposer une plainte pour discrimination auprès du Bureau des droits civils.

Les plaintes peuvent être déposées auprès du coordinateur du Titre IX de votre école, ainsi qu'auprès de :

Bureau des droits civils
Le ministère américain de l'Éducation
Bureau de poste et palais de justice John W. McCormack, salle 222
Place de la Poste
Boston, MA 02109

De plus, certains types de discrimination et de harcèlement peuvent violer les droits constitutionnels d’un étudiant.

Que puis-je faire si je suis victime de discrimination ou d’intimidation à l’école ?

Il existe plusieurs façons d'aborder le problème. L'une d'elles consiste à demander du soutien à un ami, un enseignant ou un conseiller et à parler aux personnes qui vous dérangent. Cependant, ce n'est pas une option si vous ne vous sentez pas en sécurité.

Take a look at your school policies and notify whoever is supposed to be notified—usually a vice principal or Title IX coordinator. You should document any incidents of harassment or discrimination in writing with at least the date and time. Once you meet with the right officials, write yourself notes about what you told them and on what date and ask when they will be getting back to you with a response. If they don’t help you or don’t follow through, you may wish to write to the principal and superintendent and ask for them to end the discrimination.

If this fails, you may also wish to consider legal action against the town by contacting the federal Department of Education Office of Civil Rights.

Il s'agit d'un domaine juridique complexe et éprouvant sur le plan émotionnel. Contactez GLAD Answers en remplissant le formulaire à l'adresse suivante : Réponses GLAD to discuss options.

Les étudiants ont-ils le droit de former des alliances de genres et de sexualités ou des alliances gays/hétéros dans leurs écoles ?

Oui, pour les lycéens ; probablement pour les collégiens. Une loi fédérale, connue sous le nom d'« Equal Access Act », exige que tous les établissements secondaires financés par le gouvernement fédéral offrent un accès égal aux activités extrascolaires. Dès lors qu'un établissement dispose d'au moins un club extrascolaire géré par des élèves, il doit autoriser la création d'autres clubs et leur garantir un accès égal aux espaces de réunion, aux installations et au financement, sans discrimination fondée sur l'objectif du club, qu'il soit religieux, philosophique, politique ou autre (20 USC § 4071).

Does Rhode Island have a law that bans conversion therapy?

Yes, in 2017 Rhode Island passed Section 23-94, Prevention of Conversion Therapy for Children, which prohibits any licensed mental health professional from performing conversion therapy on a minor.

Les organisations médicales, de santé mentale et de protection de l'enfance, étatiques et nationales, s'opposent toutes à la pratique de la thérapie de conversion, qui vise à modifier l'orientation sexuelle ou l'identité de genre d'une personne. De nombreuses publications professionnelles démontrent que cette pratique est inefficace pour modifier l'orientation sexuelle ou l'identité de genre et qu'elle est néfaste pour les jeunes. Les jeunes ayant suivi une thérapie de conversion présentent un risque accru de dépression, de pensées et de tentatives de suicide, ainsi que de consommation de drogues illicites.

Under the law’s provisions, any licensed health professional who practices conversion therapy would be subject to discipline by the Rhode Island Department of Health.

RESOURCES FOR LGBTQ YOUTH:

More information about Rhode Island’s anti-bullying law: Safe School Act Statewide Bullying Policy

Rhode Island School Discipline Laws & Regulations:
Rhode Island School Discipline Laws & Regulations: Bullying, Harassment, or Hazing | National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)

Le Titre IX protège les étudiants contre la discrimination fondée sur l’orientation sexuelle et l’identité de genre : US Department of Education Confirms Title IX Protects Students from Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Legal Guidelines Regarding the Equal Access Act: Legal Guidelines Regarding the Equal Access Act and the Recognition of Student-Led Non-Curricular Groups (MS Word).

FAQ sur la loi sur l'égalité d'accès : Equal Access Act FAQs.pdf

Rhode Island LGBTQ Youth Resources: Resources | Youth Pride, Inc.

Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) – LGBTQ Youth Services

LGBT National Youth Talkline (800) 246-PRIDE

OBTENEZ PLUS D'INFORMATIONS ET D'AIDE JURIDIQUE

Pour plus d'informations sur vos droits et protections, et pour des références, vous pouvez contacter Réponses GLADLigne d'information juridique gratuite et confidentielle de GLAD. Votre ressource sur les droits juridiques LGBTQ et VIH !

Réponses GLAD | GLAD

Mai 2022