Liberal Heads Explode "More than a dozen states propose Classroom Protection bills
National Public Radio has lost its mind and the collective headache is howls of pain are heard throuhout America.
First Florida. Then Alabama. Now, lawmakers in Ohio and Louisiana are considering legislation that mimics the Florida law. And Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he'll make a similar bill a top priority at the next session.
Across the United States, at least a dozen states are considering new legislation that in several ways will mirror Florida's new controversial law, referred to by some opponents as "Don't Say Gay."
The specific details regarding the bills vary between states. But overall, they seek to prohibit schools rom using a curriculum or discussing topics of gender identity or sexual orientation.
"The institutionalization of these bills is an overt form of structural transphobia and homophobia, and it goes against all public health evidence in creating a safe and supportive environment for transgender, nonbinary, queer, gay and lesbian youths and teachers to thrive," Arjee Restar, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington, told NPR....................
(NPR REPORTS)
A cascade of bills have followed
Taking Florida's lead, states began proposing their own bills. Among them:
- Alabama advanced a measure prohibiting early classroom instruction on sexual and gender identity.
- An Arizona bill aims to change the state's sex-ed curriculum to focus on biological sex and "not gender identities."
- In neighboring Georgia, lawmakers targeted private schools - which the state can regulate. But it failed to get any traction this year.
- In Iowa, a Senate proposal would require that parents opt in - in writing - to any instruction "relating to gender identity."
- In Louisiana, lawmakers introduced HB 837. It would limit discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in some grades and prohibit it all together in others. A South Carolina bill is similar.
- A Missouri bill would ban "gender or sexual diversity training" in public schools. An Indiana bill does the same. As would a Kentucky bill.
- In Oklahoma, a senate bill would ban books from school libraries that focus on "the study of sex, sexual lifestyles, or sexual activity."
- Tennessee's HB 800 bans books and instructional materials "that promote, normalize, support, or address lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, or transgender issues or lifestyle."
- Ohio's HB616 has similar language used in the Florida bill.