Outcry as Georgia lawmakers aim to pass Florida-style 'don't say gay' bill

Source: The Guardian

Outcry as Georgia lawmakers aim to pass Florida-style ‘don’t say gay’ bill

Legislators introduce bill that would ban discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in private schools

Gloria Oladipo in New York
@gaoladipo
Fri 11 Mar 2022 15.47 GMT

Georgia lawmakers are trying to pass a bill that would ban discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in private schools, introducing the measure the same day the Florida senate passed its so-called “don’t say gay” bill.

Under Georgia’s new bill, the Common Humanity in Private Education Act, no private school classroom would be able to “promote, compel, or encourage classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not appropriate for the age and developmental stage of the student,” reported NBC.

Proponents of the measure say that it promotes parental rights and inclusion in their children’s education, but LGBTQ+ advocates argue that the bill is another example of attacks on LGBTQ+ youth happening nationwide.

“We know it’s not about parental rights,” said Jeff Graham, the executive director of the LGBTQ advocacy group Georgia Equality, to NBC. “It really is about restricting the activities, participation and learning of children in school.”

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/11/georgia-florida-dont-say-gill-bill-legislation

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Related: Florida’s 'Don’t Say Gay' bill could be cloned everywhere Republicans rule (Arizona Republic)