Senator Patty Murray took her fight against the bullying and harassment of LGBT students to the University of Washington today, and she opened up about the personal reasons for the new legislation she’s introduced to stop it.
“Sometimes people get yelled at, sometimes people get physically harmed. It's not like all the time, but it does happen on this campus,” said Jennifer Self, director of the UW’s “Q” Center.
At the UW today, Senator Murray listened to stories of bullying and harassment.
“It affects their mental health, it affects their ability to go to school, to interact with students,” said Joey Hunziker of the UW Student Senate.
Murray has joined with New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg to introduce the Tyler Clementi Act. The legislation is named for a Rutgers student who committed suicide after video of him kissing another man was streamed on the internet.
The law would require colleges accepting federal money to establish anti-harassment policies to protect gay students.
Senator Murray revealed her personal reasons for proposing the law. She said an intern in her office told her of the bullying he suffered in college.
His name is Kris Sharp and he attended the University of Houston.
“He was running for office, student government and found fliers all over the campus that had his own personal medical records showing he had HIV printed on them, and the dean of the University said there's nothing we can do about them,” Murray said.
The University of Washington already has anti-discrimination rules in compliance with the Tyler Clementi Act, but passage would create federal grants to help students know what protections are in place.
KIRO
