6 reasons why “don’t say gay” bills are wrong.
Contents:
- THE BT GAY-FRIENDLY SCHOOLS
- AS FLORIDA'S 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW TAK EFFECT, SCHOOLS ROLL OUT LGBTQ RTRICTNS
THE BT GAY-FRIENDLY SCHOOLS
Three strategi elementary school teachers n e to foster a sense of cln for lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, and queer stunts. * gay in the school *
Intify as lbian, gay or bisexual and an average of 1. ”Many LGBTQ stunts report that a support system or an ally—whether a fay member, iend, teacher or guidance unselor—is often valuable helpg them navigate their school, pecially given the negative impacts LGBTQ stunts n fact, the Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network (GLSEN) reports their 2017 Natnal School Climate Survey that negative school environments where stunts experience victimizatn and discrimatn bee of their genr or sexualy n adversely affect them. ”El also noted that, while they live Massachetts and their school’s curriculum is not affected by "no promo homo" laws, which prohib teachers om discsg LGBTQ issu, the state's specifilly clive curriculum n vary between teacher to teacher, and those who tght ma them feel validated.
But we n also dismantle ways of thkg that rerce the genr dichotomy and heteronormativy, and we mt create safe spac for children to explore their inti and empathize wh those who are different om 2017, the CDC timated that 8 percent of high school stunts intify as lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, or queer (LGBTQ). Kev Jenngs, founr of the Gay, Lbian, and Straight Edutn Network, timat that one 10 tors the Uned Stat intifi as LGBTQ.
AS FLORIDA'S 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW TAK EFFECT, SCHOOLS ROLL OUT LGBTQ RTRICTNS
The Florida Don't Say Gay law shows the opposg velopments ncerng LGBTQ tn U.S. schools. While some stat have been tablishg legal foundatns for LGBTQ curriculums recently, Florida is gog the oppose directn and more stat are expected to follow s example. * gay in the school *
Florida ernor Ron DeSantis signed the state’s much-discsed Parental Rights Edutn bill—much more equently lled the Don’t Say Gay bill—to law on Monday, makg the state the fifth the natn where tors and staff are explicly prohibed om discsg LGBTQ people and issu as part of curriculums public schools. Other active Don’t Say Gay tn bills exist Texas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Louisiana. The prev s had, on the ntrary, seen the removal of several Don’t Say Gay statut ncerng public schools.
Acrdg to The Hill, the state’s bill uld be jt the begng of a wave of new Don’t Say Gay legislatn for schools. New wave of Don't Say Gay bills?
* gay in the school *
Olr Don’t Say Gay laws had generally also rtricted stctn for all age levels, wh their wordg rangg om “homosexualy is not a liftyle acceptable to the general public” (Texas) to puttg LGBTQ sexualy the same tegory as tn about “current state laws related to sexual nduct, cludg forcible rape, statutory rape” (Mississippi), even though gay sex is no longer an offense the state as of 2003.
Dpe Don’t Say Gay tn laws currently only affectg five stat, they still touch upon 18% of the U.
6 reasons why “don’t say gay” bills are wrong. * gay in the school *
Another recent report helps expla LGBTQ stunts’ distrs: The vast majory experienced harassment or asslt durg -person school, and many heard school employe e homophobic language, acrdg to a natnal survey of LGBTQ stunts nducted 2021 and released this month by GLSEN, a group that promot safe and clive schools. 35% of rponnts said their school had an active Gay Straight Alliance or siar club durg the 2020-21 amic year.