WhatsthePlanTom.com — Everyone should feel safe at school, but 9 out of 10 LGBT students say they’ve been harassed at school in the last year. In the last month, four young teenage boys took their own lives after being subjected to relentless anti-gay bullying in school.

Tom Emmer doesn’t believe that school bullying based on a child’s sexual orientation should be illegal. Tom Emmer voted against the 2009 bill that would have added sexual orientation to anti-bullying laws.

At the State Fair gubernatorial debate, Tom Emmer was the only candidate who said he wouldn’t sign the bill (it was vetoed by Governor Pawlenty last year) if he becomes governor.

Minnesota need a governor who understands that no child should feel unsafe at school, and that’s just not Tom Emmer.

You can learn more about Tom Emmer’s extreme positions at http://TomEmmersMN.org.

The bill enjoyed widespread support from Democrats and Republicans. SF
971, a bill that would require schools to train staff to deal with
bullying based on sexual orientation, passed the House on a bipartisan
95-39 vote. [Minnesota House of Representatives, 05/18/09, House Journal
6977]

Three Minnesotan gay teens committed suicide last year. Three
gay teens have committed suicide in the Anoka-Hennepin School District
in the last year. These deaths have all been attributed to intolerance
and bullying in the district. [Pioneer Press, 09/28/10]

Minnesota parents understand why the anti-bullying law is necessary. The
mother of one of the LGBT students who committed suicide, Tammy Aaberg,
has been a vocal advocate for the law. She said, “I want Justin’s
legacy to be that he’s the last gay child to take his life because of
bullying. To ensure that what happened to my son doesn’t happen to other
students in Anoka-Hennepin and elsewhere is why I’m here today.” [MN Independent, 09/29/10]