What's in the so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill that could impact the whole country - NPR

Demonstrators stitchery connected the steps of the Florida Historic Capitol Museum successful beforehand of the Florida State Capitol successful March successful Tallahassee, Fla, protesting what opponents telephone the "Don't Say Gay" bill. Wilfredo Lee/AP hide caption

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Wilfredo Lee/AP

Demonstrators stitchery connected the steps of the Florida Historic Capitol Museum successful beforehand of the Florida State Capitol successful March successful Tallahassee, Fla, protesting what opponents telephone the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

Wilfredo Lee/AP

House Republicans person introduced authorities that immoderate critics are describing arsenic a nationalist "Don't Say Gay" measure – inspired by the arguable Florida law that bans acquisition connected sex individuality and intersexual predisposition successful kindergarten done 3rd people classes.

If the national measure were to go law, which is improbable successful the existent Congress, its effects could beryllium acold much sweeping, affecting not conscionable acquisition successful schools, but besides events and lit astatine any federally-funded institution.

Here's what's successful the measure – and what radical are saying astir it.

The bill's connection is wide and consequential

The measurement was introduced connected Tuesday by Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., and co-sponsored by 32 different Republicans.

"The Democrat Party and their taste allies are connected a misguided crusade to immerse young children successful intersexual imagery and extremist sex ideology," Johnson said successful a statement, calling the measure "commonsense."

The bill, called the "Stop the Sexualization of Children Act," aims "To prohibit the usage of Federal funds to develop, implement, facilitate, oregon money immoderate sexually-oriented program, event, oregon lit for children nether the property of 10, and for different purposes."

The connection successful the projected authorities lumps unneurotic topics of intersexual predisposition and sex identity, with intersexual contented specified arsenic pornography and stripping.

It would prohibit national funds from being utilized to enactment immoderate "sexually-oriented" programs, events, and literature; prohibition national facilities from hosting oregon promoting specified events oregon literature; and let parents and guardians to writer authorities officials, agencies and backstage entities if a kid nether 10 is "exposed" to specified materials.

The measure complains that immoderate schoolhouse districts person implemented enactment ed programming for kids nether 10, and that "[m]any recently implemented intersexual acquisition curriculums promote treatment of sexuality, intersexual orientation, transgenderism, and sex ideology arsenic aboriginal arsenic kindergarten." It besides calls retired events specified arsenic drag queen communicative hours successful libraries, which it describes arsenic "sexually-oriented."

Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks astatine a quality league successful the U.S. Capitol Building successful June. Johnson introduced authorities this week that would prohibit usage of national funds for immoderate "sexually-oriented" programs oregon lit for children nether the property of 10. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks astatine a quality league successful the U.S. Capitol Building successful June. Johnson introduced authorities this week that would prohibit usage of national funds for immoderate "sexually-oriented" programs oregon lit for children nether the property of 10.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The measure follows GOP-driven "parental rights" measures successful Florida and elsewhere

The projected national measurement is framed successful presumption of parents' rights, a rallying outcry connected the close that successful the past mates years has included battles against schools' COVID-19 vaccine requirements and fervent activism against critical contention theory successful classrooms.

In March, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law the "Parental Rights successful Education" bill, which bans nationalist schoolhouse unit from conducting schoolroom acquisition connected intersexual predisposition oregon sex individuality successful "kindergarten done people 3 oregon successful a mode that is not age-appropriate oregon developmentally due for students successful accordance with authorities standards."

Critics of the measurement dubbed the Florida instrumentality "Don't Say Gay" and reason that its intent is to marginalize LGBTQ people and their families. A cascade of different states rapidly introduced akin legislation, and Alabama passed its ain version of the measure into law.

Among the projected legislation's explanation of the "sexually-oriented material" that it would limit, it includes statement and depiction of intersexual acts and "lewd oregon lascivious depiction oregon description" of quality genitals.

But it besides prohibits a afloat scope of topics related to the LGBTQ assemblage – "gender identity, sex dysphoria, transgenderism, intersexual orientation" — that are mostly astir identity.

The bill's prospects are nil portion Democrats power the White House and Senate

The measure would not walk successful the existent Congress, fixed that specified authorities is solely a Republican effort and Democrats person a functional bulk successful each chamber.

Depending connected the November predetermination results, the constitution of the House and Senate could shift. Still, it's not wide however galore Republicans would enactment the bill, adjacent if it is fashionable among a definite strain of the party.

Even if the projected authorities were to walk successful a Republican-controlled House and Senate, it would beryllium vetoed by President Biden. So don't expect this measure to spell anywhere, for astatine slightest a while.

LGBTQ groups condemn the measure and pass against its imaginable effects

The Human Rights Campaign, which advocates for the rights of LGBTQ people, decried the projected legislation.

"Extremist House Republicans similar Mike Johnson are continuing their battle connected LGBTQ+ Americans' quality to unrecorded their lives openly and honestly. A national 'Don't Say Gay oregon Trans' measure ... is their latest cruel effort to stigmatize and marginalize the community, not successful an effort to lick existent problems but lone to rile up their extremist base," Human Rights Campaign Government Affairs Director David Stacy said in a statement.

Activist Erin Reed, who tracks anti-transgender legislation, argues that the examination to a "Don't Say Gay" measure minimizes the imaginable effects of this projected legislation.

"Don't Say Gay/Trans was focused connected 'classroom instruction' which was atrocious enough," she wrote connected Twitter. "This goes WAY beyond the classroom, and WAY beyond 'instruction.' "