MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WHNT) — The Alabama Senate Education Policy committee passed a bill Wednesday that would ban discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools from pre-K through 12th grade.
The bill was heard in a public hearing on Wednesday.
“The logo of the Human Rights Campaign is an equal sign,” said Aaron De Jager, who is against the bill. “Can we ban math teachers from using those equal signs?”
“It’s extremely dangerous to propose this to youngsters,” said Ted Halley, who was advocating for the bill.
“This is a bill that does not accomplish anything besides further creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty in school,” Paige Gant said.
The bill in question would prohibit the display of gender identity flags in classrooms. State Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, said the discussions are already banned in kindergarten through fifth grade.
“There is clearly a dissatisfaction with what we are doing in public education,” Butler said. “One of the biggest complaints I hear from parents is the ‘woke’ ideology and the sexualization of our children, and I would encourage you to pass this bill.”
The bill would also make it unlawful for teachers to refer to students using pronouns that don’t align with their gender assigned at birth. As an educator, state Sen. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, said lawmakers cannot legislate morality.
“The substance of a bill that basically says that ‘This is what happens when your fears gain a hearing,’ and then people get invalidated,” Hatcher said.
Hatcher said people should be able to make decisions about gender identity for themselves.
“People may be engaging in this kind of thoughtful conversation around what they might choose to do,” Hatcher said. “As for our body, I don’t think that this is the place for us if we are actually going to be serious about governing.”
But Butler said students will still be able to make their own decisions.
“When a student enters a school, they still carry with them their First Amendment rights,” Butler said. “They can absolutely talk to a nurse, a teacher or a counselor — whoever they want. This is banning classroom discussions of such.”
State Sen. Donnie Chasteen (R-Geneva), the committee’s chairman, told Butler in the meeting he can’t make any promises about getting the bill to the Senate floor. That’s because there are only four days left in the session.
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