Tw: Discussion of homophobic, transphobic and racist legislation
House Bill 616, Ohio’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, was introduced in early April 2022 by Ohio state representatives Mike Loychik and Jean Schmidt. This bill is blatantly discriminatory towards the LGBTQ+ community, yet the supporters of this bill claim it is to protect children.
“It is so much easier to hate what one does not understand because you were never taught about their humanity.”
(Columbus Dispath, 2022).
HB 616: What is it?
HB 616 would ban the discussion and distribution of materials related to sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms. It would also ban discussion on topics related to race, despite most people thinking the bill is based solely on LGBTQ+ topics.
Students in grades four and up could discuss these topics, however, these curriculums would have to be “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards,” according to the Oh. House Bill 616. However, this provides a loophole, since they are able to define what they see as age-appropriate, meaning they could present skewed or untrue versions of topics.
For an example of this in Ohio’s current education system, look no further than sex education standards in Ohio. Which have no requirements to present “medically accurate sex education,” according to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States.
This bill would be implemented into the education system at an impressionable age for children. Not allowing these conversations to happen and flourish is shutting down children who identify as LGBTQ+, although they may not have the words for it yet.
Ohio’s schooling system is already relatively heteronormative, based on my own experiences. However, the current heteronormative system has not stopped people from identifying as a part of the LGBTQ+ community. LGBTQ+ children will be who they are, regardless of what lawmakers want.
Florida’s “Don’t say gay” bill
This article would be incomplete without a mention of the inspiration for HB 616, which is Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, FL House Bill 1557. Both of these bills have been tagged with the same name and their intentions are ultimately similar. Meaning they aim to shame and discriminate against LGBTQ+ children.
The language and the tone of these two bills are very alike. As is what they stand for: a homophobic and discriminatory agenda.
However, Florida’s HB 1557 would allow parents to sue teachers and/or school districts who choose to discuss LGBTQ+ topics anyway. This bill also limits how students would be able to receive counseling services, and what parents are required to be told when their child accesses them, Anna Staver from the Columbus Dispatch reported.
Ohio’s HB 616 also includes the ban on discussion and materials based on concepts about race, including topics like intersectional theory and critical race theory, Oh. House Bill 616 stated.
But other than those differences, Ohio’s HB 616 is essentially a copycat of Florida’s HB 1557, which laid the groundwork for legislators to try to push these discriminatory bills into action.
implications
The implications of Ohio’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill feel unending and overwhelming. As previously stated, Ohio’s schooling system is already heteronormative. Adding HB 616 on top of this shuts down almost any conversation to be had about LGBTQ+ topics.
This also allows for misinformation for children. When they are unable to learn about something in school, they turn to the internet for answers. Young children are impressionable and naïve and untrue information found on the internet can skew their perceptions of topics.
Not all children have parents who are allies to the LGBTQ+ community and not all parents are accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. Some children find solace in schools and classrooms where they feel accepted by teachers. HB 616 can take away teacher support from certain age demographics of students who may be grappling with their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
Students deserve to be taught the truth about the diverse communities and identities in the world. With the ban on talking about LGBTQ+ identities, LGBTQ+ students will become even more shameful of who they are. The ban on discussion of concepts of race also portrays the U.S. as being past racism. Which is, unfortunately, not the truth.
There are many other implications of both HB 616 and Florida’s HB 1557, which is a whole discussion in itself. Broader implications have been covered above, but know there are more implications than what is listed. The impact of this kind of legislation is huge.
What We Can Do to Help
In times when it feels legislation is only working against minorities, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged. Some easy ways to help are listed below. Do what you can.
- Spreading the word about this legislation, along with reliable information.
- Calling Speaker Cupp at (614) 466-9624 and be clear that you are in opposition of HB 616 because of the harm it puts on LGBTQ+ communities.
- Emailing legislators and representatives in opposition of this kind of legislation.
- Be there to support those who are hit hardest by this bill.
It felt important to note, that I put my hat off to any teachers who are taking a stand against this sort of legislation. An email from a teacher in Florida went viral of them essentially mocking the bill and claiming they would no longer use gendered pronouns or titles within the classroom.
This obviously upset a lot of supporters of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, but it boils down to the fact that boy and girl are gender identities. Heterosexuality is a sexual orientation. People who support anti-LGBTQ+ legislation want to block out the sexual orientations and gender identities that they refuse to understand.
Final thoughts
Ohio’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill is dangerous, and this is not a fight for only the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. This is a battle for everyone. Stand in opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Make it clear that these sorts of ideas are unacceptable and intolerable.
Trying to suppress the diverse sexualities of children by not teaching about them in school is only going to be more harmful to them in the long run. It is blatant discrimination.
Protecting LGBTQ+ youth is more important now than ever. Show some kindness to others, and support the discussion of LGBTQ+ and race-related topics in schools. No student should feel unsafe in the classroom.