There is no need for a proposed law on bullying to list reasons, including sexual orientation, why a student might be bullied, said Howard Lee, chairman of the state school board.

Meanwhile, a statewide poll shows that a majority of likely voters support the bullying law with such a list.

The proposal remained stalled in the legislature Wednesday, with senators looking for enough votes to pass it with the provision that identifies gay students as possible targets of bullies.

Speaking with reporters and editors at The News & Observer on Wednesday, Lee said a specific list of potential bullying targets, including students harassed because of their sexual orientation, is not necessary.

In 2004, staff at the state Department of Public Instruction prepared a bullying policy for the State Board of Education to approve that included sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, linguistic differences and socio-economic status among the reasons students might be bullied. The board ended up approving a policy without those descriptions.

"Bullying is bullying," Lee said. "I don't care who it's against and under what circumstances."

Bullying policies are stronger with the descriptions, said Ian Palmquist, executive director of the gay-rights group Equality North Carolina. Students are more likely to report being harassed, and teachers and administrators are more likely to respond to bullying complaints, Palmquist said.

There are more than 15 characteristics listed in the bill, including academic status, race, color and religion.

A poll conducted Wednesday by Public Policy Polling found that 72 percent of those surveyed supported a provision that would protect students from bullying based on sexual orientation. The survey of 683 likely voters had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

Legislators started working on the bill more than a year ago. It stalled Tuesday after a flood of calls and mail from social conservatives who don't want gay students on the legislation's list of potential targets.

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