By News is Out A joint report by member publications of News is Out: Bay Area Reporter, Dallas Voice, Philadelphia Gay News, Q Voice News, Tagg Magazine, Washington Blade, and Windy City Times. Visit the News Is OUT website here. The LGBTQ community is experiencing wide-reaching attacks from state governments, with most proposed and passed legislation focusing on LGBTQ+ youth.
News is Out explores what’s happening, how it’s affecting LGBTQ+ students and families, and what to do in the face of continued discrimination. Where we stand now (Bay Area Reporter) As conservative states around the country introduce and pass anti-LGBTQ+ laws, Florida took the spotlight March 28 when Republican Gov.
Ron DeSantis signed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. House Bill 1557, titled “Parental Rights in Education,” will not allow classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3, while “age-appropriate” teaching would be allowed in older grades — though it is not clear what is considered “age-appropriate,” as the Washington Blade reported.
The bill would also allow parents to sue schools or teachers who violate the legislation. It goes into effect July 1. But while the Sunshine State has garnered most of the recent headlines, it is hardly the only one where lawmakers have targeted LGBTQ+ students, especially trans or gender-nonconforming individuals.