SUDDEATH COLUMN: Say no to ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill – Evening News and Tribune
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defied the core elements of education when describing his reasoning for signing the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law into effect last March.
“This is trying to sow doubt in kids about their gender identity,” DeSantis said during a press conference reported on by the Associated Press. “It’s trying to say that they can be whatever they want to be. This is inappropriate for kindergarteners and first graders and second graders.”
Indiana Republicans are reportedly considering a copycat version of the Florida law that would be introduced during the upcoming state legislative session. The Florida version forbids instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation from kindergarten through the second grade.
Indiana schools aren’t required to teach sex ed (though they should) and Hoosier first and second grade teachers aren’t holding sexual orientation classes for elementary school students. Lawmakers know this. They’re taking it a step further in an attempt to ban any reference to what they disagree with, censorship in its truest form.
The legislation is based on a flawed interpretation of parental rights. While parents certainly bear responsibility for raising their children, schools aren’t just beholden to moms and dads. Teachers are responsible for educating students, and particularly in public school settings, dealing with a wide range of backgrounds, beliefs and yes – sexual orientations.
There’s also a major difference in explaining versus requiring. A second grade teacher educates students on the basics of mathematics, science and reading. By doing so, the teacher isn’t requiring that a student become a mathematician, scientists or author. Likewise, an educator isn’t forcing a student into an identity or sexual orientation by simply explaining the definitions.
This is yet another potential attack by a Republican-led Legislature against the LGBTQ population for the sake of political pandering.
Last year, GOP lawmakers vowed that banning transgender students from playing sports on teams that coincide with their identities was about protecting girls’ athletics.
Oddly those same lawmakers were quiet in November when Indiana University Women’s Basketball coach Teri Moren rightfully criticized Las Vegas Invitational organizers for having the Hoosiers, a top 10 team that could win the Big Ten and a national title, play in a subpar setting for the holiday tournament.
Such a shoddy setup would never pass in men’s basketball, especially for a title contender.
Perhaps the five-minute drive from the Indiana State Capitol to NCAA Headquarters was too long for our ferocious defenders of girls’ athletics, as not a peep was heard from those lawmakers who were obsessed with fairness.
As was the case with the transgender athletics bill, the “Don’t Say Gay” legislation is another copycat piece of GOP legislation intended to scare people. There are some who should be afraid of this bill – they are our LGBTQ youth.
The latest Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that LGBTQ youths are more likely to be victims of violence and suicide. Over 43% of transgender youth surveyed reported they’d been bullied at school.
Our state lawmakers should be more focused on addressing bullying and suicide than classroom instruction, but apparently saving kids’ lives doesn’t matter as much as scoring political points.
Politicians like DeSantis are wrong – kids can be whatever they want to be. And one day, when they figure out exactly who they are, they may look back and realize it was the DeSantises of the world who were trying to sow doubt about their identity, not their elementary school librarian who let them check out a book featuring an LGBTQ character.
Hoosier lawmakers – have the courage to be autonomous. Quit jumping on bandwagons and lead Indiana – a state that should be marked by tolerance and understanding, not hate and fear-mongering.
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