By John Riley on April 23, 2021 @JRileyMW
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) has vetoed a controversial bill that would have required parental permission before teachers could even mention LGBTQ-related content, even in passing, in sex education or history classes.
However, Ducey also issued an executive order requiring public notice of any LGBTQ-related lessons before it can be used in Arizona classrooms, a concession to advocates of the curriculum bill who wish to inform parents, particularly those with religious beliefs opposing homosexuality, before their children are introduced to topics that they may find objectionable.
In vetoing Senate Bill 1456, Ducey called the bill “broad and overly vague,” saying it could lead to consequences and be misinterpreted by school administrators in such a broad manner that it might bar teachers from addressing sexual abuse prevention education to younger children.
But he did call in his executive order for more transparency regarding topics broached in sex education classes, including a requirement that schools post materials and content online for parental review 60 days before broaching potentially controversial topics in order to allow parents to “opt in” to sex education classes, according to the Arizona Republic.
While Arizona is currently one of five states that requires parents to “opt-in” before receiving instruction in sexual education, the bill, proposed by Sen. Nancy Barto (R-Phoenix), was criticized for being overly stringent by requiring parental permission before subjects involving gender identity, sexual orientation, or HIV/AIDS prevention education could be addressed in the classroom.
Critics argued that the “gag rule” imposed by the law would have penalized teachers for even broaching facially-neutral historical facts about the LGBTQ community, or for allowing books with LGBTQ content on a reading list for literature classes.
Two years ago, Ducey signed a law pushed by lawmakers to end the state’s “No Promo Homo” law, which prohibited teachers from casting anything having to do with LGBTQ issues in a positive or even neutral light.
Some critics worried that Barto’s bill would effectively reverse that positive development, and open up the state to legal action, just as the “No Promo Homo” law had.
Michael Soto, of Equality Arizona, praised Ducey for allowing for more transparency without marginalizing LGBTQ students by forbidding certain content, such as discussions around sexual orientation and gender identity as part of sex ed classes.
Tory Roberg, the parent of a trans child who led protests against the bill, was happy to see Ducey veto the bill. But she believes the executive order only affirms what is already in state law.
“The school board meetings about sex education will give parents the opportunity to opt out of sex education,” Roberg wrote in an email to the Arizona Republic. “That sends a message that LGBTQ issues are controversial and can serve to alienate youth who identify that way. We have a long way to go when it comes to accepting and loving LGBTQ and trans kids as a society.”
See also: Arizona Republican compares nonbinary individuals to someone identifying “as a chicken”
LGBTQ advocates praised Ducey’s actions, saying the bill would have had far-reaching implications.
“History shows that restricting curriculum disproportionately impacts LGBTQ children, and Governor Ducey’s choice to veto this bill will prevent further discrimination and disinformation, and potentially save lives,” Alphonso David, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement.
“This bill would have threatened the ability for all students — no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity — to feel supported by their schools and families to grow into who they are without fear. This legislation also would have paved the way for efforts to withhold important LGBTQ history and literature from their education,” David noted. “We must always work to protect LGBTQ students from discrimination while giving young people all the information they need to be comfortable navigating their adolescence and live freely and openly.”
“Regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, students in Arizona deserve to have access to high-quality sex education and information about LGBTQ history, literature, and current events,” added Bridget Sharpe, HRC’s Arizona State Director. “This veto will protect LGBTQ children and ensure every student has access to enriching educational materials that tell the story of LGBTQ people in this country.”
Read more:
HUD withdraws Trump-era revisions restricting shelter access to transgender people
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoes bill seeking to bar transgender athletes from sports
By John Riley on November 19, 2024 @JRileyMW
"This year, we had the death of Pauly Likens, who was 14, the youngest victim we've ever recorded," says Dr. Shoshana Goldberg. "We see many victims misgendered and deadening by authorities, and reporting what emerged this year is not surprising. What is unsurprising and heartbreaking is that we just see the same things happen. Even as while the numbers may change from year to year, the same trends continue to emerge."
Goldberg is the director of public education and research at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest LGBTQ civil rights organization. Earlier today, one day before Transgender Day of Remembrance, which memorializes those trans people who have lost their lives to murder or suicide, the foundation released a report detailing the extent of violence directed against members of the transgender and gender-nonconforming communities in the United States.
By John Riley on October 17, 2024 @JRileyMW
A pair of Senate Democratic candidates have sought to insulate themselves from attacks by Republicans that they support transgender athletes, or as the right-wing ads claim, allowing "boys" or "biological men" to compete in women's sports.
The shift by U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, who is challenging incumbent Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, locked in a tough re-election battle in right-leaning Ohio, indicates that the two Democrats seemingly believe that Republican attack ads on transgender issues have some salience among voters.
Both men have been attacked for supporting the Equality Act, a sweeping bill to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ people in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, lending, jury service, and other aspects of life -- though it is decidedly silent on athletic participation.
By John Riley on November 5, 2024 @JRileyMW
Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride (D-Wilmington) has made history by becoming the first out transgender person elected to Congress.
McBride, best known for her former role as spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, was declared the projected winner by NBC News with 70% of the vote reporting. The Associated Press has not yet called the race, but McBride was leading James Whalen III, a former police officer, by a margin of 58% to 42% for Delaware's sole congressional seat.
A former White House intern during the Obama administration, employee of the Center of American Progress, and board member of Equality Delaware, McBride has been credited as one of several influential activists who successfully lobbied for the passage of Delaware's comprehensive nondiscrimination law protecting the rights of LGBTQ individuals.
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