Red-State Leaders Target Child-Grooming Teachers

The legislation goes further than a law that was enacted last year and forbids the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation from kindergarten through the third grade.

According to state guidelines, “kindergarten through the third grade pupils may not receive sexual orientation or gender identity teaching in the classroom from school staff members or outside parties, or in a manner that is inappropriate for their age or stage of development.”

The original wording specifies that this restriction would also apply to charter schools, but Anderson’s plan would extend that ban to students in prekindergarten through the eighth grade.

The law would also prohibit public school workers from asking kids to reveal their preferred pronouns if the pronouns don’t correspond with their sex, in addition to prohibiting them from informing children of their preferred pronouns if the pronouns do not correspond with their sex.

The measure’s wording states that “a contractor or an employee of a public K–12 grade educational institution are not permitted to give a student their preferred personal title or pronouns if those preferred personal titles or pronouns don’t correspond to their sex. A student can not be penalized or be subjected to unfavorable or discriminatory treatment for failing to disclose his or her choice personal title or pronouns,” according to the policy on asking students for their preferred personal identifiers or pronouns by employees or contractors of public K–12 educational institutions.”

The bill further specifies that “a contractor, an employee, or student of a public K–12 educational institution can not be required, as a part of enrollment, employment, or the participation in any program, to refer to another individual by using that person’s preferred personal pronoun or title if such personal title or pronouns don’t correspond to that person’s sex.”