Alabama House votes to expand ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Some Alabama legislators are pushing to stop teachers from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation with their students.

Lawmakers are revisiting the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law and expanding it to cover 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classrooms in the state. The bill says teachers are not allowed to provide instruction related to gender identity or sexual orientation.

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The Alabama House passed the amended bill Tuesday, with the sponsor saying it was a step forward for parents’ rights. Others say these kinds of laws have the potential to do a lot of damage.

“We don’t need state government making decisions that are broad-sweeping and have so many unintended consequences as we see over and over,” said Rep. Marilyn Lands.

Lands is a licensed professional counselor who ran for office because she said she hopes to provide insight into mental health issues.

“I’ve worked with children and families who are LGBTQ+, and I have heard personal stories of bullying and isolation and the cruelty,” Lands said.

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LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to commit suicide than their peers, according to the Trevor Project.

“I understand that everybody wants to protect children, but I don’t think this bill really does anything meaningful and it further endangers our children who are already ostracized,” Lands said.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mack Butler, originally wanted to expand the provision through 12th grade, but a House amendment scaled it back to 8th grade. The bill also prevents teachers from displaying pride flags.

The bill now heads to the Senate.

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