Georgia is now aiming to stop gender identity lectures in schools. The state is doing this by pushing a long-stalled legislation proposal that aims to prevent teachers from teaching about gender identity.
On Tuesday, Feb. 13, the majority of Republicans passed the new Senate Bill 88 out of the Senate Education and Youth Committee on a party-line vote.
Georgian Orthodox believers and anti-gay activist demonstrate in the capital Tbilisi, on May 17, 2013, to protest gay rights activists' plans to stage a rally marking the International Day against Homophobia.
Now, the legislation states that private schools will be required to obtain written permission from parents before they can teach about queer theory, gender identity, gender transition, and gender ideology.
However, the full Senate will still debate regarding the new legislation before it becomes law.
Georgia Now Aims To Stop Gender Identity Lectures in Schools
Sen. Carden Summers, a Cordele Republican, claims that the new anti-gender identity teaching bill is fair legislation.
"We worked in earnest to make this bill fair while still achieving our goal of making sure children's parents are involved in a sensitive and often life-changing issue," he said via NBC News.
However, The Associated Press reported that liberal opponents claim that Senate Bill 88 remains a thinly veil attack against LGBTQ students.
"There has been no evidence presented that kids are being taught gender identity issues in school that would lead to any kind of confusion or coercion," explained Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham.
However, there are some LGBTQ members who surprisingly support the new bill, saying that transgender activists don't represent them. One of them is Jeff Cleghorn, a former board member of the GBTQ advocacy group Georgia Equality.
"Activists in schools have no business interfering with the parent-child relationship. Do not let schools teach kids to keep secrets from their parents," argued Cleghorn.
What Anti-Gender Identity Teaching Bill Requires
Newly donated LGBTQ+ books are displayed in the library at Nystrom Elementary School on May 17, 2022 in Richmond, California. California State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond celebrated the donation of thousands of LGBTQ+ books from Gender Nation to 234 elementary schools in nine California districts.
Once it becomes law, the new Senate Bill 88 will require public schools in Georgia to establish rules that would determine how to handle gender identity issues.
These policies will also focus on handling students who want to dress as a different gender or use different pronouns. The new legislation states that these policies should be presented as early as January 1, 2025.
Public schools that don't comply will have their state aid withheld, as well as face restrictions from participating in the Georgia High School Association.
Meanwhile, private schools that violate the legislation will be banned from receiving any state money provided by vouchers for special needs students.
Related Article: England: Teachers Granted Autonomy to Reject Student's Request to Change Gender Identity
