Report: LGBTQ+ Students Are Target of Coordinated Right-Wing Attack
awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis’s signature in Florida. Bills that would censor school discussions of race have been put forth in 33 states.“These bills vary widely from state to state,” notes a summary of the report. “Some of these bills would give politicians veto power over school curricula that discuss the contributions of Black Americans to U.S.
history, the Holocaust, or allow parents to sue schools if LGBTQ issues are discussed.” Some seek to ban certain books as well.The hostile climate bills include those barring transgender students from playing on the sports teams designated for their gender identity, requiring faculty and staff to out LGBTQ+ students to their parents, limiting use of a student’s preferred name and pronouns, or rolling back nondiscrimination protections.
At least 40 states considered such legislation in the past two years, and measures like this continue to be introduced in 2022.
Eleven states have enacted trans-exclusionary sports laws from 2020 to 2022.“Unfortunately, it’s no surprise that these legislative attacks on school curricula and school climate are happening right now,” the report states. “These bills reflect a coordinated effort on behalf of well-financed, far-right lobbyists seeking to undermine the progress made in recent years toward addressing racism and advancing LGBTQ equality.
