Georgia Senator Proposes Revised Bill Restricting Teacher Discussions on Gender Identity
A Georgia state senator is making another attempt to revive a proposal aimed at regulating conversations about gender identity between teachers and students without parental permission. The bill, Senate Bill 222, faced strong opposition from both gay rights advocates and religious conservatives during the regular session earlier this year.
Supporters of the bill argue that the new version introduced at a recent hearing of the Senate Education and Youth Committee is more narrow in scope. According to Senator Carden Summers, the Republican sponsoring the bill, the main intention is to ensure that parents are involved in discussions about gender with their children under 16 years old.
However, opponents argue that little has changed in the revised bill. Liberals claim that it continues to target LGBTQ+ students under the guise of addressing parental rights, while conservatives see it as an ill-conceived attempt to regulate private schools.
Jeff Graham, the executive director of LGBTQ+ advocacy group Georgia Equality, says, There have always been and always will be students who identify as transgender, or whose own sense of gender identity doesn’t fit neatly into a specific binary box. This legislation will only add to the stigma they face and make their lives more challenging and difficult.
Critics of the bill have compared it to Florida’s Don’t Say Gay bill, which restricts teachers from discussing or even acknowledging a student’s sexuality. Summers, however, denies that Senate Bill 222 is a replica of Florida’s bill.
Under the revised version of the bill, private schools would be required to obtain written permission from parents before providing instruction on matters such as gender identity, queer theory, gender ideology, or gender transition. Public schools would need to establish policies by January 1, 2025, to address issues related to gender identity and a child’s desire to dress as a different gender. The legislation would also prevent any changes to school records based on a child’s gender identity without written parental consent.
The consequences for non-compliance with the law would include public schools having their state funds withheld and private schools losing access to state money provided through vouchers for children with special educational needs. Public school teachers and administrators could face the loss of their state teaching license.
Some individuals, like Kate Hudson of Education Veritas, argue that private schools need to be regulated to counter what they perceive as liberal indoctrination. They claim private schools are engaging in a coordinated effort that undermines traditional societal values and the welfare of children. However, there are other conservatives who reject the idea of regulating private schools, asserting that the bill infringes upon parental rights and introduces government interference into the operations of private institutions.
During the last session of the majority-Republican committee, all but one senator voted to suspend the earlier version of Summers’ bill due to opposition from both liberals and conservatives.
As the revised bill continues to generate controversy and debate, the issue remains unresolved. The clash between concerns over parental rights, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and the role of government regulation in private schools will undoubtedly keep this topic in the spotlight of Georgia’s political landscape.
