These American children, and their parents, must be protected AT ANY COST!

The truth is that Ron DeSantis and Florida Republicans are running a full-court press to attack our most vulnerable communities this legislative session. DeSantis' own Press Secretary Christina Pushaw took to Twitter with a bigoted, anti-LGBTQ rant regarding Florida's Don't Say Gay bill. In the two-tweet thread, she accuses LGBTQ people of being pedophiles. She continued throughout the weekend, retweeting similar language from right-wing outlets and lashing out at NBC's SNL for a skit on the bill. DeSantis owns this unbridled hatred. Time is running out. And it’s not just Florida: Republican-controlled state legislatures across the country have introduced over 100 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, most of which especially target trans and nonbinary youth. So we must rise up to push back against these dangerous attacks. There is absolutely no time to waste. LGBTQ+ youth like me are counting on you to rise up and fight back. Bills like this cause further, immeasurable harm to communities that already face harassment, discrimination, and attacks like these day after day for simply existing. These bills are attempts at erasing us, stigmatizing us, and isolating us, and they would continue to push LGBTQ+ youth even farther to the margins. It's heartbreaking and hits way too close to home for me and so many others. These attacks are happening across the country, so it’s critical that all Floridians and people across the country know of the lengths Governor DeSantis and Republicans are willing to go in order to curb free speech, propagandize school curriculums, and police them in classrooms, private workplaces, and doctor’s offices. DeSantis and Republicans are willing to inflict harm on the most vulnerable in our state in order to shore up their extremist base. Together, we can stop DeSantis and Republican’s dangerous agenda by fighting back against white supremacy, homophobia, and transphobia.

The current push for book bans is the strongest that it’s been in decades, with attempts to stop students from learning about the Holocaust, slavery, gender and sexuality, and more. Schools should allow a curriculum that educates students on our collective histories and allows them to learn about resilience and empathy. In a state that often touts freedom, there is no freedom of speech, when books are now being censored after years of already being taught in Florida schools. School environments should be inclusive to all students and give them the opportunity to read stories that reflect their interests and identities. Students, teachers, and communities across the country are facing similar right-wing attempts to censor what’s taught in schools, but we are not powerless. Together, we can take action to ensure schools and libraries have the ability to serve everyone so that we can learn from our diversity, history, and culture, and work to create an inclusive future where everyone can thrive.

My name is Jaime. I’m a mom and teacher in Florida. My husband and I have three amazing children— our youngest is transgender. Our family is one of many with a personal stake in stopping the discriminatory “Don’t Say Gay” (HB 1557/SB 1834) bill currently working its way through the Florida legislature because our daughter identifies as a girl even though she was mistakenly assigned male at birth. Because of how she chooses to express her authentic self, our daughter has been bullied at school. We fear the passage of a bill to ban any discussion of children’s LGBTQ+ identity will hurt kids and limit schools’ ability to foster an overall environment of compassion and kindness to all. Right now, politicians in FL are proposing a bill that would BAN some educators from teaching about LGBTQ+ people. This bill would make it illegal for any elementary school staffer—including teachers and school counselors—to talk about LGBTQ+ people. They would be barred from talking about how kids express their gender identity, or the fact that some kids have two dads or two moms. And if a child confides in their teacher or counselor about their own identity, that staff member would be required to disclose that to their parents, even if there were concerns about potential abuse. Sadly, a third of all LGBTQ+ youth report being physically abused by parents due to their identity. Requiring staff to tell parents puts children at a huge and unacceptable risk of violence. Sign the petition now and tell FL legislators and the governor to oppose this dangerous bill. Thank you.

HBCUs exist because of the persistent desire of Black Americans to obtain higher education, in the past and today. HBCUs produce pioneers, leaders and responsible citizens. Their legacy is indeed “sacred.”

MASKING SAVES LIVES. Join us in asking our schools to follow scientific recommendations about how to protect children, families, and educators in Hamden from COVID-19.

Our kids deserve the opportunity to be taught American history in its entirety – not just history about white Americans. The extremist GOP doesn’t get to take away our right to teach students about complex histories. We can all play a part in fighting back against white supremacy and misinformation in our schools by sending a clear message to school boards, principals and superintendents that our children should be taught accurately about the history of this nation.

We need to make our voices heard to members of the Arizona Legislature that loaded, concealed guns don't belong on our college campuses. The Senate bill is moving and could be voted on very soon on the floor. Please sign this petition and share with friends. We will deliver all signatures to lawmakers in Phoenix. Thanks for all you do. Andy Pelosi The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus

The health and safety of the Essex County Public School students, teachers and staff is of the utmost importance. Essex County Public Schools had to release students early on February 4, 2022, due to a staff shortage. Many teachers and staff members believe the learning environment is unsafe and do not want to put themselves at risk of contracting COVID-19. An Essex High School student was sent to the principal on February 3, 2022, after a teacher discovered a flyer organizing a student walkout. The flyer read, “Covid-19 is real. We lost too many lives," and asked students to walk out for 16 minutes in honor of the 16,412 people who lost their lives due COVID-19 in Virginia. A parent of a special needs student who is nonverbal and wheelchair bound, said she took her daughter out of school because of health and safety concerns. Signing this petition is important because we cannot allow elected officials to put the health and safety of our children and community at-risk. By prematurely ending COVID-19 mitigation strategies and protocols, the school district is unable to provide a safe environment for students to receive a free appropriate public education.

According to the Brennan Center, Arizona legislatures passed three restrictive voting bills in 2021, AZ HB 1003, AZ SB 1485, and AZ SB 1819. These bills will purge voters from voting lists and limit the time voters can fix their absentee ballots and cure their signatures. These new laws compound earlier discriminatory voting laws passed in Arizona that restrict ballot collecting and provisional ballots. The majority of voters harmed by these laws are African American, Latino and Native American voters, rural voters, and poor and low-income voters. Join us as we demand the NFL move Super Bowl LVII from Arizona due to its discriminatory voting laws in order to protect our democracy.

84% of high school students in NJ don't get enough sleep on school nights (minimum of 8 hours). When kids go through puberty, their biological clock shifts later. Teenagers’ bodies are in “sleep mode” from about 11 PM to 8 AM, which does not match with early school start times. This fixed sleep/wake pattern is about biology, and goes beyond healthy habits like avoiding screens before bed. By starting school before 8:30 AM, we are preventing teens from getting the 8-10 hours of sleep they need to be healthy, happy, and successful. Research shows that in school districts that delay start times to 8:30 or later, students really do get more sleep. Their sleep time increases by about the same amount that the start time shifts later, and they reap all of the expected benefits. Although there are challenges with changing school start times, we can overcome them to do the right thing when we prioritize student wellness and success. There is growing momentum for healthy school hours across the state and the country. Rather than waiting for a New Jersey law that mandates healthy school hours, let Hillsborough be a leader in promoting student well-being and academics in a way that works for our town. Healthy school hours are supported by: • American Medical Association • American Academy of Pediatrics • National Parent Teacher Association • National Education Association • U.S. Surgeon General Join us! https://www.facebook.com/groups/HealthySchoolHoursHTPS

K-pop and K-dramas have been trending on streaming services. Due to this and connection through the world-wide-web, millions of people around the world have become interested in learning more about Korean language and culture. Therefore, it would be in Northern Illinois University's interests to provide an outlet to encourage cultural and educational diversity. If you feel that the implementation of a Korean language program would benefit NIU students and the community, please take a moment and sign this petition.