There is good and bad to this. It is good for the fact that it sends a message that GLBT youth are not to be discriminated against in schools. The bad part is the fact that any such legislation is needed. What I don't understand is why when existing laws are not enforced instead of enforcing those laws they simply create new ones. It sounds like nothing but a smokescreen. It reminds me of illegal immigration laws that passed in Arizona. It was already illegal to be in Arizona illegally but since it wasn't being enforced, let's pass more laws making the same thing illegal again.
The U.S. Constitution has long had an amendment regarding equality under the law. This should include anything such as gay marriage, equality in schools, etc. I find it strange that a law has to be passed making harrassment and violence against GLBT people in schools illegal when harrassment and violence are already against the law. The same with Hate Crimes Legislation. While it is important to track such crimes, these crimes still seem to go unsolved. Murderers are still going away free but instead of holding law enforcement accountable let's just pass another law making murder illegal again. I'm sure that harrassment and violence in schools was even illegal in the 1800s but let's pass more laws.
Today there are even police on duty in many public schools yet students are still getting beaten, stabbed, and even shot. I'm sure another law is going to help. What people need to do is stop passing laws and start holding those responsible for enforcing those laws accountable. Simply put, if a child get beaten up in school, the school has to pay for the child's medical bills since it happened on the property and if the school doesn't severely discipline those responsible, then the parents sue the school. There are plenty of laws on the books from 1776 that are simply common sense but apparently people would rather cop-out than do the real finger pointing.
