Honoring Brandon Elizares
Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart as I take
time to remember Brandon Elizares, a young man who left us two and a
half weeks ago. He will always be remembered for his smile, his
personality, and his desire to serve as an inspiration to others.
Brandon, like 11.7 million people in this country, was gay, and like
so many of his peers, was harassed and bullied until he took his life
on June 2nd after being threatened with being buried alive and shot. His last message-echoed his infinite love for his family and his apologies for not being strong enough to continue taking the abuse he had faced for over two years. His final words read, "My name is Brandon Joseph Elizares and I couldn't make it. I love you guys with all of my heart."
High school is an exciting time with an array of new experiences and
challenges, but one thing it should not be is an environment where
young people must worry about being bullied. Children in high school
should be focused on their education. The sad reality is that for many
students their primary concerns don't lie in textbooks or exams, but in
fear that they will not be accepted by their peers, that they will be
physically abused, and, in the case of Brandon and countless others
like him, that they may consider taking their own life to escape the
pain.
Brandon was a young man who exemplified the best in the El Paso
community. He embodied what this nation looks for in all of its young
people. He was a best friend, a loving son, an aspiring model and
artist, an excellent student, and, to a teenage girl who had
contemplated suicide due to encounters with bullying, Brandon was a
superhero and an older brother.
Like so many El Pasoans, I feel a personal connection to Brandon, and
his death reflects the unfortunate truth that many young people in our
community continue to suffer. I stand before you today asking you to
help me in ensuring that Brandon's death was not in vain. Please join
me in support of the Student Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 998) and the
Safe Schools Improvement Act (H.R. 1648) to protect LGBT students from
discrimination and bullying in schools. I also ask you to stand with me
in support of the "" campaign, a project whose goal is
to prevent suicide among youth by having adults and allies convey the
message that these teens' lives will improve.
In our country today the facts are clear:
56 percent of students have personally felt some sort of bullying at
school. Between 4th and 8th grade in particular, 90 percent of students
report being the victim of bullying.
9 out of 10 LGBT youth reported being verbally harassed at school in
the past year because of their sexual orientation.
1 in 4 teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only
intervene 4 percent of the time.
A victim of bullying is twice as likely to take his or her own life
compared to someone who is not a victim.
41 percent of principals say they have programs designed to create a
safe environment for LGBT students, but only 1/3 of principals say that
LGBT students would feel safe at their school.
Every day thousands of children wake up fearing for their well being
as they go to school; if the Student Non-Discrimination Act and the
Safe Schools Improvement Act were enacted today, we could provide
students a sense of relief and some reassurance that their government
is working to improve their lives by increasing awareness about their
daily struggles.
This issue, as all of you know, is not limited to one district or
state, but has been felt throughout our country from California to New
York. As a proud grandfather, I could not imagine what it would be like
to have any of my grandchildren be bullied at school. There is no place
in our society for bullying or discrimination, whether it's in our
schools, communities or in our military. I want to provide hope to our
youth and remind them they are not alone and that there are many venues
they can turn to for help. I want to send a simple and powerful
message: it gets better. If you are a student or a teacher there are
resources available and I encourage you to visit www.stopbullying.gov
or www.itgetsbetter.org for more information.