A Assembly committee has approved a bill that would require teachers and school administrators to “disclose” transgender and gender nonconforming students to their parents.
The PROTECT Kids Act would require schools to notify parents of elementary and middle school students before changing a student’s gender designation, pronouns or preferred name on school documents or before allowing a student to use facilities or spaces, such as restrooms or locker rooms, that do not match the student’s assigned sex at birth.
The U.S. House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee approved the bill on September 11th by a vote of 22-12.
The bill was sponsored by US Representative Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), who is also a vocal supporter of Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ laws that toughen penalties for same-sex conduct.
Walberg, who was in Uganda to attend the National Prayer Breakfast as part of his duties as co-chair of the U.S. National Prayer Breakfast, praised the law and urged Ugandan lawmakers to stick to it despite the possibility of international sanctions.
A similar bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Tim Scott (R-Lausanne), who has not only built up an anti-transgender voting record in Congress but has also criticized President Joe Biden’s recognition of Transgender Day of Visibility.
The House version of the bill, billed as a “parental rights” measure, would threaten to cut all federal funding to schools that don’t “tell” parents about students they suspect are transgender, gender nonconforming or questioning.
The bill addresses recent reports of schools creating “gender support plans” for transgender students, including reports that administrators in Maryland’s Montgomery County Public Schools were directing teachers to create such plans without parental approval.
Three parents sued the school to overturn the policy, but were denied standing because their children did not self-identify as transgender and therefore did not meet the criteria for a gender support plan. The denial was upheld by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, leaving the policy in place.
Walberg’s bill also references a similar controversy over a “gender support plan” created by a school district in Iowa. Though the policy was eventually rescinded, Linn-Mar Community Schools ended up pay $20,000 to settle the lawsuit It was brought about by a group of conservative activists.
Another controversy mentioned in the bill’s preamble comes from Fairfax County, Virginia, which requires teachers to complete a training program that says they don’t need parental permission to ask students to call them by different names or pronouns. The district currently: Ongoing litigation Challenge bathroom and pronoun policies that favor transgender people.
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), chairman of the Congressional Equality Caucus, denounced the bill, accusing Republicans of failing to pass gun control legislation and prioritizing anti-LGBTQ legislation.
“Just a week later Deadly school shooting“Rather than working to protect our kids, Republicans on the Committee on Education and Labor have decided that they’d best spend their time attacking the kids they don’t like — transgender kids. That’s outrageous,” Pocan said in a statement.
“While many young transgender people are blessed with loving and accepting families, some are not,” he added. “By forcing teachers and administrators who want to take certain steps to accept transgender students to come out instead, MAGA Republicans are endangering the safety and well-being of students who may not be accepted by their families — all for the sake of scoring easy political points.”
The bill has a good chance of passing the House after a similar bill, the Parent Bill of Rights, was approved on a mostly party-line vote last year, with only five Republicans voting against it.
But given the contentious nature of the issue and the fact that this is an election year, it would not be surprising if House Republicans tried to use this to corner vulnerable Democratic lawmakers on an issue that not only skews public opinion far more against transgender acceptance, but also threatens to divide the party from the types of voters — primarily suburban moms — who will cast the votes Democrats need to win the November election.
Because the U.S. Senate is controlled by Democrats, Walberg and Scott’s bill is unlikely to be heard.
And even if the bill passes, President Joe Biden would likely veto it.
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
