"Don't Say Gay" & Texas: SDSA's Opinion

The Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio’s leadership team is denouncing Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s idea to have a Texas version of the Florida law dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” The idea is ill conceived and down right harmful to children and young adults.

The Florida law prohibits teachers from teaching sexual orientation or gender identity to kids below the fourth grade. That state’s controversial law prohibits classroom lessons on sexual orientation or gender identity for kids below the fourth grade or any instruction that is not “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate” for older students. It has come under heavy scrutiny as opponents of the bill say it will harm LGBTQ children.”

“....pediatric psychologists say the law stigmatizes being gay or transgender and could harm the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth, who are already more likely to face bullying and attempt suicide than children who are cisgender and straight.”

“We all have processes around clarifying who we know in our heads and hearts we are and who we are drawn to or attracted to,” said Laura Anderson, a child and family psychologist in Hawaii whose focus is LGBTQ+ youth and their families. “To make an increasingly large percentage of the population’s experience invisible and taboo is just so harmful and unsafe for all kids.”

With the teacher shortage in Texas acknowledged by Governor Abbott’s teacher shortage task force, this law will add to the shortage. Advocacy organizations and Democratic lawmakers say the bill will affect teachers’ and schools’ ability to acknowledge the existence of LGBTQ identities in school. This will be one more example of teachers being hamstrung and controlled in their classrooms causing more teachers to quit.

SOURCES:

https://www.texastribune.org/2022/04/04/texas-dont-say-gay-dan-patrick/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/04/florida-dont-say-gay-bill-children-mental-health

https://www.texastribune.org/2022/04/06/texas-lgbtq-classroom-discussion/

About Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio: The Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio is an official affinity-based club of the Democratic Party. We fight every day for equality for all gender minorities, and eagerly join forces with all those who support the cause of justice.