More than a dozen stat propose so-lled 'Don't Say Gay' bills : NPR

Contents:

• ALABAMA ERNOR SIGNS 'DON'T SAY GAY,' TRANS RE AND BATHROOM BAN BILLS
• ALABAMA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL: WHAT WOULD DO; READ THE TEXT
• ALABAMA LEGISLATURE PASS SURPRISE ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ AMENDMENT, TRANSGENR BATHROOM RTRICTNS
• NOT JT FLORIDA. MORE THAN A DOZEN STAT PROPOSE SO-LLED 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILLS
• IN SOME STAT, VERSNS OF ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILLS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR AWHILE
• ALABAMA BOARD OF EDUTN DIFI “DON’T SAY GAY” LAW
• WHAT A NATNAL 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL WOULD MEAN FOR TN
• WHAT'S THE SO-LLED DON'T SAY GAY BILL THAT ULD IMPACT THE WHOLE UNTRY
• GOV. KAY IVEY SIGNS ‘DON’T SAY GAY,’ ANTI-LGBT BATHROOM BILLS TO LAW
• BATHROOM LEGISLATN TURNS TO 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL, GETS ALABAMA LEGISLATURE'S APPROVAL
• “DON'T SAY GAY” BILLS AREN'T NEW. THEY'VE JT BEEN REVIVED
• DISNEY’S DON'T SAY GAY BILL LAWSU W PUTS DESANTIS ON NOTICE
• ALABAMA SENATE PASS “DON’T SAY GAY,” TRANSGENR BATHROOM BILL
• HERE'S WHAT FLORIDA'S 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL WOULD DO AND WHAT WOULDN'T DO
• FLORIDA'S ERNOR SIGNS NTROVERSIAL LAW OPPONENTS DUBBED 'DON'T SAY GAY'
• ALABAMA BANS GENR-AFFIRMG MEDICE FOR YOUTH, ADVANC S OWN VERSN OF ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL

ALABAMA ERNOR SIGNS 'DON'T SAY GAY,' TRANS RE AND BATHROOM BAN BILLS

The language mirrors the ntroversial so-lled "Don't Say Gay" bills poppg up across the took issue wh that characterizatn, sayg a statement, "Let me be clear to the media and opponents who like to rrectly dub this the 'Don't Say Gay' amendment: That is misleadg, false and jt pla wrong.

Across the Uned Stat, at least a dozen stat are nsirg new legislatn that several ways will mirror Florida's new ntroversial law, referred to by some opponents as "Don't Say Gay. "The stutnalizatn of the bills is an overt form of stctural transphobia and homophobia, and go agast all public health evince creatg a safe and supportive environment for transgenr, nonbary, queer, gay and lbian youths and teachers to thrive, " Arjee Rtar, assistant profsor of epimlogy at the Universy of Washgton, told NPR. Rtar, a social epimlogist and health equy advote, said the ntroversial bills will lim all youths to live to their fullt potential, addg "there should be no room for transphobia and homophobia — pecially the classroom.

ALABAMA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL: WHAT WOULD DO; READ THE TEXT

" Tennsee's HB 800 bans books and stctnal materials "that promote, normalize, support, or addrs lbian, gay, bi-sexual, or transgenr issu or liftyle. Two years after Arizona lawmakers repealed a law barrg any stctn on HIV or AIDS that that "promot a homosexual liftyle, " they are close to enactg a broad remake of the state's sex tn laws wh a particular foc on LGBTQ issu. "Florida may be the first this wave, but there have been other laws the past that were lled 'no promo homo' laws, which forbid sayg posive thgs about lbian, gay, bisexual, and queer people classrooms, " Simmons told NPR.

New York Cy is lnchg a digal billboard mpaign, supportg LGBTQ visibily that will be displayed five major markets Florida for eight weeks, to lure Floridians unhappy wh their state's "Don't Say Gay" law to the Big Apple, Adams announced. Kay Ivey signed to law Hoe Bill 322, lloquially dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, rtrictg public school teachers om discsg LGBTQ+ history or people public elementary schools.

At least 20 stat have troduced “Don’t Say Gay” laws this year, which have ma wav around the untry. READ MORE: Florida Legislature vot to strip Disney of self-ernment after opposn to ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.

ALABAMA LEGISLATURE PASS SURPRISE ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ AMENDMENT, TRANSGENR BATHROOM RTRICTNS

Sce 1992, Alabama’s tn stipulated that teachers emphasize “ a factual manner and om a public health perspective, that homosexualy is not a liftyle acceptable to the general public and that homosexual nduct is a crimal offense unr the laws of the state. A year ago, “Don’t Say Gay” laws that had passed the 1980s were nsired archaic, LGBTQ+ advot said, wh many of them repealed over the years.

Texas lawmakers have exprsed tert pursug a “Don’t Say Gay” bill like Florida’s and Alabama’s, even though the state has had a siar regulatn on the books sce 1991. In Texas, the state still stipulat that tnal materials for people unr the age of 18 “state that homosexual nduct is not an acceptable liftyle and is a crimal offense. Oklahoma passed the natn’s first bill banng teachers om talkg about homosexualy an AIDS sex ed measure April 1987, and Louisana followed su that July.

NOT JT FLORIDA. MORE THAN A DOZEN STAT PROPOSE SO-LLED 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILLS

South Carola passed a “Don’t Say Gay” bill 1988. In total, ne stat passed laws banng schools om teachg about “homosexualy” om 1987 to 2001, when Utah adopted s versn.

IN SOME STAT, VERSNS OF ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILLS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR AWHILE

For example, Louisiana still has a law on the books that stat, “No sex tn urse offered the public schools of the state shall utilize any sexually explic materials pictg male or female homosexual activy.

Mississippi sex ed law requir that teachers simply teach current state law related to sexual nduct and lists “homosexualy” alongsi sensive topics such as “forcible rape, statutory rape, paterny tablishment” and “child support. Casey said the bills are relics of the AIDS crisis, when panic about homosexualy dictated school curriculum.

ALABAMA BOARD OF EDUTN DIFI “DON’T SAY GAY” LAW

WATCH: How Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law regulat school lsons on genr, sexual orientatn.

“Once the HIV epimic me to the picture, then a bunch of stat started nsirg and enactg laws that banned stctn on sexualy and homosexualy public tn, channelg this ‘Save Our Children’ mpaign energy and the fear and prejudice durg the HIV epimic, ” Casey said. Five stat repealed their “Don’t Say Gay” bills between 2006 and 2021, when Alabama rcd s law.

Advot say part of that surprise is that “Don’t Say Gay” statut have been revived after two s.

WHAT A NATNAL 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL WOULD MEAN FOR TN

Vivian Toppg, director of advocy and civic engagement of the Equaly Feratn, a aln of state LGBTQ+ anizatns, said lol Florida anizers worked overtime to sound the alarms about their “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Advot say that the current ph for “Don’t Say Gay” bills is polil. Ron DeSantis’ cisn to ph the “Don’t Say Gay” bill Florida is ls about kids and more about the Republin’s printial ambns.

Alabama’s Governor Kay Ivey has signed a bill that will update the US state’s sexualy tn law, removg accurate and stigmatizg language about lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) people.

WHAT'S THE SO-LLED DON'T SAY GAY BILL THAT ULD IMPACT THE WHOLE UNTRY

Prevly, Alabama state law required that sexualy tn emphasize “that homosexualy is not a liftyle acceptable to the general public” and “homosexual nduct is a crimal offense unr the laws of the state.

Parents would be allowed to file a lawsu agast any public or private enty that feral funds to display or facilate ntent featurg LGBTQ an agency or anizatn vlat the rtrictns more than once a five-year perd, uld lose accs to feral funds for three years, acrdg to the bill specifilly mentns drag shows, which have been the recent target of cricism by nservative groups advotg for laws such as this prott ont of Florida State Senator Ileana Garcia's office after the passage of the Parental Rights Edutn bill, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by LGBTQ activists Miami, March 09, Raedle/Getty Imag, FILEProposed bill prompts cricismThe bill sparked immediate backlash om some LGBTQ people and activists across the untry, who say this legislatn misreprents the inti as herently sexual, shameful or assert that this kd of legislatn will silence and harm LGBTQ teachers and stunts, while stigmatizg the muny and threateng ferally fund programs on cln.

GOV. KAY IVEY SIGNS ‘DON’T SAY GAY,’ ANTI-LGBT BATHROOM BILLS TO LAW

"A feral 'Don't Say Gay or Trans' bill – moled after the ntroversial discrimatory law Florida and aimg to drive LGBTQ+ fai and teachers out of the tn system – is their latt cel attempt to stigmatize and margalize the muny, not an attempt to solve actual problems but only to rile up their extremist base, " said David Stacy, the ernment affairs director of LGBTQ advocy group Human Rights Campaign.

Supporters rally to ph back agast the so-lled "Don't Say Gay" at the Pri Center Wilton Manors, Fla., Feb. Several stat have followed Florida's lead, cludg Alabama, which has implemented so-lled "Don't Say Gay" polici of s own.

BATHROOM LEGISLATN TURNS TO 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL, GETS ALABAMA LEGISLATURE'S APPROVAL

Demonstrators gather on the steps of the Florida Historic Capol Mm ont of the Florida State Capol March Tallahassee, Fla, prottg what opponents ll the "Don't Say Gay" bill. Hoe Republins have troduced legislatn that some crics are scribg as a natnal "Don't Say Gay" bill – spired by the ntroversial Florida law that bans stctn on genr inty and sexual orientatn krgarten through third gra class. Crics of the measure dubbed the Florida law "Don't Say Gay" and argue that s tent is to margalize LGBTQ people and their fai.

A feral 'Don't Say Gay or Trans' bill... Activist Er Reed, who tracks anti-transgenr legislatn, argu that the parison to a "Don't Say Gay" bill mimiz the potential effects of this proposed legislatn.

"Don't Say Gay/Trans was foced on 'classroom stctn' which was bad enough, " she wrote on Twter. Addnally, the law bans nversatns about sexual orientatn and genr inty classrooms for gras K-5, siar to Florida’s recent “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill.

“DON'T SAY GAY” BILLS AREN'T NEW. THEY'VE JT BEEN REVIVED

— Alabama lawmakers approved sweepg legislatn Thursday to outlaw genr-affirmg meditns for transgenr kids and advanced a separate measure prohibg early classroom stctn on sexual and genr inty, a bill crics have dubbed "Don't Say Gay. Neil Rafferty, the only openly gay member of the Alabama Legislature, appeared to stggle to hold back his anger and mata posure as lawmakers head to the vote. Republins the Senate also add language siar to a law Florida that crics lled the "Don't Say Gay" measure.

""We jt don't thk 's appropriate to be talkg about homosexualy and genr inty, " Shelnutt said.

"The language is siar to a Florida bill that crics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill. But a handful of stat, versns of the legislatn have existed for 1992, Alabama’s tn stipulated that teachers emphasize “ a factual manner and om a public health perspective, that homosexualy is not a liftyle acceptable to the general public and that homosexual nduct is a crimal offense unr the laws of the state. ”Texas lawmakers have exprsed tert pursug a “Don’t Say Gay” bill like Florida’s and Alabama’s, even though the state has had a siar regulatn on the books sce 1991.

DISNEY’S DON'T SAY GAY BILL LAWSU W PUTS DESANTIS ON NOTICE

” Members and supporters of the LGBTQ muny attend the "Say Gay Anyway" rally Miami Beach, Florida on March 13, 2022. Opposn Democrats and LGBTQ rights activists have lobbied agast what they ll the "Don't Say Gay" law, which will affect kids krgarten through third gra, when they are eight or ne years old. The Alabama Senate on Thursday passed legislatn requirg K-12 stunts to e the bathroom of their birth-assigned sex opposed the bill, and an amendment broaned the bill to mirror Florida’s so-lled “Don’t Say Gay” law.

ALABAMA SENATE PASS “DON’T SAY GAY,” TRANSGENR BATHROOM BILL

“We jt don’t thk ’s appropriate to be talkg about homosexualy and genr inty, ” Shellnut said. Rodger Smherman, D-Birmgham, explaed that gay and transgenr children are bullied and the targets of hate crim.

HERE'S WHAT FLORIDA'S 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL WOULD DO AND WHAT WOULDN'T DO

But Florida’s Parental Rights Edutn act — which crics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — has sudnly sparked a natnal war of recent weeks, lears of global rporatns, edorial boards of major newspapers and Hollywood actors have all weighed on the proposed legislatn, wh some llg “eply disturbg” and others “nonntroversial. ” Conversely, opponents say would unfairly target the LGBTQ muny — particularly gay and trans stunts — and is “pretendg to solve a problem that don’t exist. For starters, cricism that the “Don’t Say Gay” bill do not fact say “gay” anywhere s text is te.

FLORIDA'S ERNOR SIGNS NTROVERSIAL LAW OPPONENTS DUBBED 'DON'T SAY GAY'

The bill, which passed Florida’s Senate last week and the state’s Hoe of Reprentativ Febary, do, however, nta the terms “sexual orientatn” and “genr inty, ” each legal experts say that whether the bill prohibs the word “gay” self is a “distractn. “The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ moniker is a moniker about a certa polil amg of this suatn. ”Beyond brandg, a re argument over the bill centers around whether would prohib the “stctn” or “discsn” of sexual bill’s sponsors have emphatilly stated that the bill would not prohib stunts om talkg about their LGBTQ fai or bar classroom discsns about LGBTQ history, cludg events like the 2016 adly attack on the Pulse nightclub, a gay club Orlando.

The bill, which some opponents have lled "Don't Say Gay, " was signed by DeSantis on Monday. The "Don't Say Gay" moniker om crics of the measure who blast this ia and sist this policy will hurt LGBTQ children.

"Florida's HB 1557, also known as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed to law, " the statement read. Alabama lawmakers on Thursday approved sweepg legislatn to outlaw genr-affirmg meditns for trans kids and advanced separate legislatn to prohib classroom stctn on sexual and genr inty early gras — a measure that crics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.

ALABAMA BANS GENR-AFFIRMG MEDICE FOR YOUTH, ADVANC S OWN VERSN OF ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL

Reprentative Neil Rafferty, the only openly gay member of the Alabama Legislature, appeared to stggle to hold back his anger and mata posure as lawmakers head to the vote.

Republins the Senate also add language siar to a law Florida that crics lled the “Don’t Say Gay” Alabama language would “prohib classroom stctn or discsn on sexual orientatn or genr inty for stunts krgarten through the fifth gra public K-12 schools.