BATON ROUGE, La. — It’s the first day of Pride Month, and the Louisiana legislature has just advanced two bills centering around the LGBTQ community.
First, HB 81 is headed to the Senate floor after clearing the committee Thursday. It would prohibit teachers from using any preferred names or pronouns for students that are not in line with their birth certificates unless parents fill out a form.
Even then, teachers could refuse. Parents could then request a classroom change.
Jennifer Kerrigan, a Louisiana Save Our Schools representative, said during testimony, “It simply reasserts the actual role of a parent. It puts the parent back in direct communication with a child and putting them as the person who needs to make decisions.”
One representative from the Southern Poverty Law Center was there to push back, saying that Representative Raymond Crews, the author of the bill, voted in favor of a bill that would allow 17-year-olds to be considered adults after committing a violent crime.
“But if that same 17-year-old is sitting inside of a classroom, the law, the bill says that he’s immature,” the representative said.
But then, the argument went to the next level. HB 466 – nicknamed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill – would prohibit any teacher-led discussions regarding sexual orientation in K - 12 schools. It also contains nearly the same text as HB81 and would prohibit teachers from using preferred pronouns for students.
Some things are unclear in the text, like whether teachers could have a photo of their family on their desks or whether students could talk about their own families.
Representative Dodie Horton is the author of the bill.
“Topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity should be a prerogative of parents and families, not indoctrination by school personnel. The sexualization and indoctrination of children without the permission of parents should be a non-controversial issue,” said Rep. Horton.
But many people have been talking about a moment from Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis, who is the first openly gay elected state official.
“This is a hateful piece of legislation,” Lewis said. “I’ve never gotten this upset in the legislature, but I’m tired of it.”
Lewis said, “I’m tired of people dictating who they like. I came before you earlier this year in redistricting, pleading the same thing. See me because I’m Black. And this body said ‘no, we’re not going to give you equal representation’. And then this session you come back, and you’re attacking me again.”
Both bills will now head to the Senate floor.
If passed, they’ll go to the Governor’s desk. He has not said whether he’d veto either of these bills.
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