House Republicans Introduce National "Don’t Say Gay" Bill
October 20, 2022US Congressional Republicans introduced what some are calling a national version of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill – or what critics have dubbed the "Don’t Say Gay" bill.
Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana, along with 32 other Republican members of Congress, on Tuesday introduced the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act of 2022, which would prohibit the use of federal funds “to develop, implement, facilitate, or fund any sexually-oriented program, event, or literature for children under the age of 10, and for other purposes.”
The bill defines “sexually-oriented material” as “any depiction, description, or simulation of sexual activity, any lewd or lascivious depiction or description of human genitals, or any topic involving gender identity, gender dysphoria, transgenderism, sexual orientation, or related subjects.”
NBC News writes that the sweeping legislation would affect all federally funded facilities and programs, including public libraries, federally funded schools, military bases, and hospitals. It would prohibit schools, for example, from providing sex education or library books that include LGBTQ+ topics to children under 10. It would also bar public libraries from using funds to host Drag Story Hour events – a national program started in 2015 in which drag performers read children’s books to kids.
“The Democrat Party and their cultural allies are on a misguided crusade to immerse young children in sexual imagery and radical gender ideology,” Johnson said in a statement. “No federal tax dollars should go to any federal, state, or local government agencies, or private organizations that intentionally expose children under 10 years of age to sexually explicit material.”
On social media, critics have called the bill Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law “on steroids.”
LGBTQ+ advocates dubbed the parental rights measure the "Don’t Say Gay" bill because it prohibits “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten through grade 3 “or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill in March.
Advocates for the LGBTQ+ community say the law stigmatizes LGBTQ+ families and queer youths, who already face disproportionate rates of bullying and harassment at school.
“Your bill defines ‘sexually oriented material’ as anything that involves sexual orientation, gender identity, or related subjects,” Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic and a transgender-rights advocate, said on Twitter in response to a post from Johnson. “Equating LGBTQ people to sexually explicit material is dehumanizing and disgusting. Let’s call this what it is, a national ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.”
The federal bill would actually go further than Florida’s law because its impacts would extend outside classrooms to any institution, program, or event that receives federal funding or takes place on federal property.
Read related myGwork articles here:
Florida School District Now Requires Teachers To Out LGBTQ+ Students Because Of "Don’t Say Gay"
Extreme "Don't Say Gay" Bill Introduced By Pennsylvania Republicans
Hundreds Of People Protest Florida’s Horrid “Don’t Say Gay” Bill
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