Schools should be safe.

The mission of the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition is to ensure that all students have a safe learning environment by protecting students'constitutional rights, ending discrimination, and fostering acceptance through public education.

It's a very simple concept. Students have the right to be safe in their schools. Those of us who have been in Mississippi schools are well aware that they are not.

That's why we started the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition. It's a group of individuals and organizations committed to making schools safer for LGBT kids. We know that kids are being bullied for their sexual orientation, discriminated against because of their gender identity and harassed just for being allies. Hell, you could spend a day in very few schools here without hearing someone called a fag.

Get involved. MSSC is just getting off the ground, but we've got a great start. We need people of all orientations and ages with an interest in student safety. You can get more information here or join the mailing list here. (If you check the box at the top of the form, they'll send you nifty MSSC stickers.)

We're in a position to have a very positive impact for students. It's far past time for someone to speak up.