Nearly one in three American students report being bullied in schools. But for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) students, these numbers are astronomically higher. In recent surveys, 60% of all LGBT students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation; meanwhile, upwards of two-thirds reported feeling unsafe because of their gender identity.

Federal law is important in setting school safety policies in American public schools. That's why the Safe Schools Improvement Act is so important in terms of creating safe educational environments for hundreds of thousands of American students.

Specifically, the Safe Schools Improvement Act would expand federal law to include anti-bullying protections based on a student's actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and religion. This is a bill that has also been endorsed by many leading educational groups, including the American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, the National PTA, the National Association of School Psychologists, and more.

This is an important piece of legislation that will help keep American students safe, meaning that Congress should act now to pass the Safe Schools Improvement Act. Send them a message now urging swift passage of this legislation.