Indiana school pronoun bill signed into law amid worries it'll 'out' transgender kids

Beginning July 1, Indiana teachers and school staff will be required to alert the parents of students who ask to be called by a different name or set of pronouns.

The bill that's said to target transgender students was signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb on Thursday along with all other bills passed by the legislature that he hadn't acted on yet. He didn't veto any legislation.

House Bill 1608: Indiana Senate pares down bill targeting student pronouns

House Bill 1608 took several forms during the legislative session. Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, introduced it as a "Don't Say Gay" bill, modeled after the legislation in Florida, to ban kindergarten though third-grade classroom instruction on topics of gender roles and orientation. It was stripped down to prohibit talk of human sexuality starting in pre-kindergarten instead. The teachers union said this subject is already not taught.

The Senate and House passed the bill generally along party lines.

House Bill 1608: History of the legislation

LGBTQ advocates testified that the bill risks "outing" kids to their parents, triggering potentially unsafe home environments. Lawmakers and parents in favor of the bill said parents need to know if those changes are requested by their child.

The bill was part of what LGBTQ advocates and protesters called the "Slate of Hate," a nickname for several anti-transgender bills filed this year.

Indiana SB 480 bans gender-affirming care for minors

Senate Bill 480, known as the youth gender-affirming care ban, was another contentious bill this session and was signed by Holcomb in early April. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the law shortly after the governor signed it, alleging a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Senate Bill 480: Holcomb signs bill banning transgender surgeries, puberty blockers for minors

'Slate of hate': Anti-LGBTQ legislation could push Indiana to bottom of national rankings

Contact IndyStar Pulliam Fellow Cate Charron at ccharron@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @catecharron.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana governor signs transgender school pronoun bill