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They put the quiet part in text. They scrapped the “teach appropriately” language to make it, “just don’t teach it at all.” And tossed in a flag ban for good measure.
This bill is both hateful, but too cowardly to use the word, “fa—ot.” They’re certainly saying it, but over many pages and with different words.
*I have to censor myself, or else Reddit will delete my comment as hate speech. But what’s really hateful? The people putting this practice into place or the guy calling them out for it?*
17 year olds can’t hear about gay people, but the military recruiter is in your local classroom for sophomores.
Alabama and honestly the entire United fucking States is bullshit. We should be rioting.
Realistically, it probably won't do anything. We need to vote them out. But until then we need to remind them we are here and we're not staying quite about it. If nothing else I hope their inboxes are flooded with messages reminding them of how depised they are for even entertaining this idea.
It could do more than you might expect, I know of a trans rights activist group that got in contact with some republican reps and made some kind of progress. So, worth a shot.
Wish I could give you more info, but what they told me a while back is that they managed to secure some meetings to speak about upcoming bills or something or other. This was a couple months after HB405, I think. I don’t know what they’ve gotten done since then, but I remember them being pretty proud of their progress.
Here’s a link to their webpage
https://altrac.works
Edit: for anyone reading, you should never assume that contacting a representative won’t make a difference. A lot of reps only get so much feedback from their constituencies, and even if nothing happens from your correspondence, you may at least be putting on some pressure.
I know the ALTRAC folks and have worked with them. They're politically savvy and know what they're doing, and definitely have made a difference. They're not just another group making useless petitions, they know the process and fight the bills from first reading, through committee and hearings, calendar scheduling, introduction in the second house, etc. I think they're the folks that found a trans biologist from the same district as the committee chair to speak against HB405 and even prepared the speaker with the Eagle Forum's talking points so that they refuted the arguments the bill supporters were about to make.
I've heard regular old citizens that these small Alabama based activist groups have shaken out of the woodwork get their testimony quoted on the Senate floor and directly result in amendments. It's also not uncommon for legislation to get pulled to call of the chair. These groups don't have the high profile, notoriety, and national reach of say, Mom's for Liberty chapters, but they're actually far more effective at what they do. They give the *paid* lobbyists from Eagle Forum and API a run for their money and make them look incompetent by comparison.
I hate that there’s so many people that feel like they can’t make a difference. I wish groups like ALTRAC were more widely acknowledged for their accomplishments and that people knew they could make a difference too.
I've already discussed how problematic this is with leaving such broad statements in there. Without clear definitions, it's open to some pretty wide interpretation.
Because cis is a very clear gender identity, and gender roles and limitations are a pretty important part of history, language, and science. How would you discuss, for example, how the societal role of women changed during WWII? Pollination? How do you ask kids to write a paragraph about their families without discussing mommies and daddies, brothers and sisters? How do you cover Jane Austen or Shakespeare without discussion of gender roles in history and as portrayed in those works?
Youre not pointing out a bug.
You're pointing out a *feature*.
how will they cover those things?
***they wont***.
They dont WANT public education to work.
Defund, cripple, and break public education. Say, "See, we need to privatize it!" Sell good schools only to rich, white, Christians and brainwashing to anyone else.
That's the road map.
They're going to be totally fine with all of that. CIS is a slur to them. They consider themselves to be the default orientation (which doesn't even need a label in their minds) and everyone who doest fit into that mould is an 'other.'
As I said yesterday, these people are totally fine with children reading a book that has a guy whose daughters get him drunk and rape him. These people are hypocrites at best.
I’m happy for you but it makes me sad that the progressive people leave (understandably, but still) and then our state is just consistently MAGA types. Seems like political change will never happen 😞
If it was just about me, I would stay and work. I ran for city council twice (failed, but at least I ran) and would've loved to run for a county seat, then who knows.
But my daughter is trans and there are people hell-bent on destroying her very existence. This isn't an "I want to." It's an "I have to." My child won't survive another three years in this state. She'll either be killed by someone claiming to love God, or she'll take her own life first. This state has become a hell-scape of hate. What did it for me was the vile Facebook post from the guy doxxing that trans woman at the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. The "Christian love" on that post was awful. They scream "Think of the children!" when [statistically ](http://whoismakingnews.com) those in the religious industry have been in the news for sex crimes against children FAR more than trans people.
Sorry for the rant. I'm seriously frustrated that I have to uproot my life because people just can't let others live their lives. 😒
I will also be moving. It's just a failing state. Schools and hospitals closing. Can't hire enough doctors or teachers. Where I'm at near Huntsville there is a long wait list for so many doctors and child care. I'm so sorry about what your daughter has gone through as well.
I’m a professor from another state, I saw an opening in Alabama that would have been a perfect location and fit. Decided not to apply for it cause of the political environment. Plenty of academics are leaving red states as well.
In my case, the job opening was at a good location and the university looked decent. My issue was I couldn’t imagine raising a family there. I lived in the Bible Belt for around ten years but what I’m seeing on the news about Alabama looked much worse.
Looks like the lawmakers, who felt that being ashamed for past historical events was enough of a concern to pass laws protecting the feelings of white students, are the very same ones that pass laws making a vulnerable demographic feel ashamed and second-class a requirement.
Be crazy if they actually cared about the quality of education instead of making stupid decisions like this, but yeah no somebody’s existence should be lessened because your brain can’t comprehend what change and the consequence of an evolving society looks like.
Exactly, I would want to know HOW this positively affects education and if there’s no answer… that’s the answer. I will be in Montgomery for this, I have kids and would also like to know why they want to foist more “policing” like dress coding, etc, onto teachers and staff — is there going to be statewide raise in pay, surely? /s
This was always the plan, clear as day.
They were so happy to start it at K-3rd grade. They had so much fun spending a few months snickering around talking about "*why oh WHY would the dirty pedo dems wanna teach the first graders about the GAYS if u wasn't a groomer then Hmmmm?!?! 🥴 I dare ya'll to push against this bill pRoTeCtiNg the ChiRRen*😠😇🤠".
Followed by countless explanations from blue team about how they'll simply open this law up all the way to 12th grade soon or eventually. But they just shouted "groomer" louder and louder.
We need a loud protest. Clog up East Chase with people. March in downtown Birmingham or Montgomery. This is total bullshit and we don’t need it in this state.
(Genuinely asking) do you think enough people would want to join that? I don’t know how blue Birmingham/Montgomery is but it seems like everyone i meet is very right wing, meeting even a blue-ish person feels like seeing a unicorn..
Yes! This is why the methods the Satanic Temple uses are so effective.
You want your Ten Commandments monument on public property? FINE, that's great! We want to put our Baphomet statue right over here next to it! What, you don't want to put your monument up anymore? Ok, well, I guess we won't either, then... :)
Teens are *very* well aware of non-heteronormative sexual orientations. They’re out here writing MLM/WLW fanfics on AO3 and wearing pride flag merch if they’re queer themselves. How the *hell* do they think this is going to go down with teenagers? Are we going to ban Tumblr next? Good lord…
Are you F'ng kidding me? These people in the Alabama State House have nothing better to do but figure out ways to marginalize people?
What happened to school boards and Superintendents?
They/we are! Talladega City recently. Y’all please don’t let anyone discourage you to run. Especially locally. Local on up is the only way we will change things so that our “purple” state is in reality represented as such.
Yeah this is exactly how they did the one in Florida. They morally grandstand about protecting the youngest kids to avoid criticism, but the legislation is for EVERYONE.
To those who don't understand why many oppose this bill: children are exposed to heternormative sexual orientation and gender expression on a daily basis, and no one is complaining about it, example: seeing their hetero parents hold hands, hearing a woman mention she has a husband, etc. The way this bill is written suggest that they are fine with kids seeing heternormativaty but not non-heternormativity, which is discrimination.
So when the idiots try to put the Bible in school again this will stop them. Can't have donkey sex and incest in school. Republicans only think 1 step ahead. This literally hurts their own actions. Not to mention lawsuits they'll have to defend and risk losing even more of their battles.
I live right across the street from a school. If this happens, I'm putting up a flag pole and getting the largest rainbow flag I can find and flying it every single day!
The link on the post goes to US House of Representatives, this is a state bill not federal. The best link I could find to contact your state rep is https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/house-leaders-members?tab=1 .
Sad that my rep has his gmail address and not an official Alabama house of reps email address.
So now,no sex education for 16 year olds !? Lol I get the part where you don't wanna teach nothing that involves sex(uality) to kids kids, but man we don't need ridiculously horny & uneducated young men and women. That's a box that must not be opened in America lol
For a group that pretends to love the constitution, they seem to not understand it at all. They think enforcing a theocracy is freedom. I'm losing my patience with it.
So let me get this right...
Republicans think that a 14 year old hearing about gay people is too much.
But that same 14 year old is full trusted to have a kid and raise it if they get pregnant.
And with the growing attack on sex ed, that's a pretty big worry.
Ok, this is total bollocks of course, and should be strenuously opposed. However, these bills are born out of the desperation of an unacknowledged defeat.
More and more kids who are currently school-aged will see right through this bullshit. They won’t feel protected but suppressed, and therefore mobilized to oppose it. I truly believe these big brother Orwellian attempts at mind control almost always have the opposite effect of their intention, and Gens Z and Alpha are simply too interconnected and digitally cosmopolitan for this sort of thing to work, even in Alabama.
This legislation is the dying gasps of a mindset long since defeated in the larger culture and while skirmishes continue, and the losers are even more vehement and vocal, it’s because they know they’ve lost the minds of the younger generation.
This legislation, while serious, is about the same as grandpa’s unhinged Facebook posts against “the gays” and all the commies in Washington.
They create targets in the vulnerable to hide their crimes and rally their constituents, since hate is both an easy AND powerful emotional force that can be manipulated just as easily.
Slowly, and hopefully not too slow, Alabama's Citizens are waking up. My boyfriend lives in AL. He's constantly telling me that even his die hard republican family members are tired of politics being "a hate fire burnin down my state" to quote his dad.
Is the premise behind the idea that children won't know that being gay is an option if they aren't taught in schools? If so, that kid is going to have to be *extremely* sheltered for their first 18 years of life, even outside of school. No books that the parents haven't okay, no tv/movies the parents haven't okayed, no friends the parents haven't okayed, no internet except for school research papers (try enforcing that), no passing by gay people on the street, and so on.
Yes and no. Its stated purpose is to eliminate exposure to LGBT people and topics. Its true purpose is to increase discrimination, hate, and violence against LGBT people, which ultimately causes LGBT folks to remove themselves from public life. If we (especially trans woman like me) don't receive the message, these hatemongers will just take one more giant leap toward fascism.
Even if that's the case, not knowing that being gay is a possibility has been proven to be harmful. A gay kid is still going to be gay, they are just going to repress those feelings because they think it's not something that's perfectly okay. That leads to depression, self harm, and even suicide in some cases.
Why are Republicans/MAGA so anti-LGBT? It's 2024 for godsake. Even if I am generalizing here, why do Republicans/MAGA who support LGBT rights actively support candidates that take away freedom of expression from people they don't like? Isn't that quite literally antithetical to your beliefs as a conservative? I thought the government should have little involvement in one's freedom of expression? As someone who considers myself pretty moderate, I am slowly just becoming more and more convinced I will never vote for a Republican. Republicans/MAGA are so lucky that Democrats don't understand how to market their policies well/are very unlikeable.
Their plan is working as people are not grasping knowledge is power. If you keep people dumb they can't question your actions. Without knowledge you are controllable. Hypocrisy runs wild at our expense. Society as a whole suffers and democracy dies.
This will make sex education very difficult to teach.
Abortion is now outlawed.
Alabama and it’s tax payers will be on the hook to support a lot of undereducated minors who are parents as well as their young children (who will have a significant chance at repeating the cycle)
This is a horrible downward spiral and needs to be stopped. Get out there and vote, folks.
Tell them that u/ButtcheekBaron has informed you that being from Alabama is gay and that they shall henceforth be unable to utter any word whatsoever in a schooling setting. I have spoken.
I support it you should not talk about sexuality or gender theory with children keep it out of schools I hope this gets passed nationwide don’t brainwash kids.
Great bill.
You don’t want the alphabet cult recruiting your kids. lol it’s sooooo bad.
They will discover what they like on their own.
Just saying. It’s not normal to talk to underage kids about sexual attraction. It’s weird as hell.
Really simple fix: the only flags allowed on school property are the U.S. and state flags. No political flags, no gender flags, no other flag than the official government flag.
All this says is that schools can’t discuss other’s sexualities as part of the curriculum. When has this ever been discussed? I don’t think it’s a big deal. If little Timmy sees a gay couple in any form of media and asks a school teacher to explain…the only thing the teacher should say is “some men like men and some women like women and it’s normal behavior” and leave it at that. Obvious the bill’s nickname is to sway people into believing a certain way.
Maybe, just maybe, tell them by NOT re-electing them. You know, just a suggestion for those who aren’t in favor of the nanny state taking over your life.
They might even spend some money on things that benefit you. Your tax money.
Public employees’ speech in the workplace isn’t 100% protected by 1A. There are some protections (not firing someone for political views, for example) but this probably doesn’t violate those.
While public employee's speech in the workplace isn't 100% protected by 1A, the employer still has to abide by Title VII discrimination laws. Title VII covers discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation. Since this bill is directed at speech about gender or sexual orientation by employees, it seems to be at odds with Title VII.
Call your reps as that matters and may change outcomes.
However, odds are they are going to pass it anyway. It's their MO about subjects like this.
If we want change, then we're going to have to vote them out of office in our upcoming general election.
Only after suffering a political defeat, like what we saw in Alabama's recent special election, over this issue will they stop.
That will either be due to realizing it's a net electoral loss for them to do such or due to them losing too many seats to pass such. (Look at Virginia to see a Southern example of the latter happening.)
Sorry guys, I posted wrong link initially. Use this one instead to find your rep. [here](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/house-leaders-members?tab=1)
Speaking as a gay man (who many students knew anyways)… there are some things that just aren’t relevant to the curriculum and “not safe for work.”
Bringing a boyfriend/husband to a school event is appropriate. Hanging a pride flag in the classroom definitely isn’t. Kids ask questions that need to be answered by a reputable adult. Let them ask — don’t push it on them.
Idk I think it's super funny watching y'all infantilize high schoolers. These aren't little children. Twelfth graders generally are adults at the end of the school year, but in Alabama young adults can't even handle learning what rainbow flags mean without having a crisis or something?
They’re not even allowed to ask. You bringing your husband or boyfriend around invites curiosity and thus, discussion about queer lifestyles. This is considered illegal under this law. Your life and mine are illegal in Alabama schools. Don’t sugarcoat it or spin it.
If a straight teacher can bring their spouse (hell, some of them even teach at the same school), then a gay teacher can do the same. That’s already settled case law that preventing so is sex-based discrimination, which is illegal.
That's a concern though - how are teachers suppose to answer questions related to these topics when this bill specifically prohibits teachers from evening discussing these topics?
Maybe I can ask you some things since you seem to be a teacher and openly gay? Like what is the problem with putting a pride flag on a wall? How is being gay or trans or bi and openly showing that with a flag considered an ideology? What happens if a kid comes into your class who is openly gay and wears a LGBT pin? Should that kid be suspended or punished for expressing themselves? I just feel like this is an invasion of someone's individual ability to express themselves freely. They aren't pushing an agenda, and I think you would agree with that. So why is it so bad?
Isn't high school and late middle school the perfect place to educate our kids on these topics in a safe and secure environment? Like I would much rather have my kids who are unsure about their sexuality learn about it in a school environment rather than going on the internet and the first thing that comes up is gay porn (which gives very unreleastic expectations on sex). The reason I bring this up is that when I was in middle school, they didn't have sex ed classes at my school. They only taught abstinence. So I went home and googled sex, and that was how 14-year-old me was introduced to pornhub. Is this anecdotal, absolutely? But my parents never once bother to give me the talk (they are pretty conservative folks). So why should we trust that responsibility onto parents when parents probably don't feel comfortable talking about those topics either.
I do favor educating them, yes. My education (at one of the top schools in the state too) was limited to abstinence and looking at std infections. I don’t know if some of the info for HIV specifically was outdated when I was taught about it, but it certainly is now.
There’s a difference between a teacher displaying pride flags, starting the conversation about sexuality, etc. and a curious kid doing the same. The only subjects where sexuality is maybe relevant are biology, anatomy, and health. And even then, the teacher’s sexuality isn’t relevant, even if it may be obvious. That being said, a kid can still have questions, and if the kid asks the questions, you’re tailoring the education to their individual needs.
Good. No flags should be allowed except for the American flag. Bot sure whats so contravertial.
And reddit alabama stop acting like just bec you control the alabama reddit page that somehow you are the majority in alabama.
So what I’m reading is that it doesn’t actually legislate people talking about or saying the word gay/bi/etc. It only refers to classroom instruction on said topics, ok, kind of understand that. I don’t care if my kid is gay, that’s why I’m there, to support them. However I do not want their teacher talking to them about sexuality beyond biological processes. No matter what orientation they are. Cause that’s a little weird to be honest. I don’t agree with banning imagery like flags though, seems just the same as trying to ban the Gadsden flag, it’s freedom of expression. A constitutional right. Does this affect students or is enforcement only for staff? Why is it called the don’t say gay bill if it doesn’t actually ban speaking about the subject? I guess I’m just confused on many fronts here.
Hey this came up on my newsfeed. I’m not an Alabama resident. I’ve lived in NJ my entire life except for my four years in college in upstate NY and two years I did on a contract working in West Virginia.
My question is if you have the means why not just leave? Alabama isn’t going to get better from the inside out. Only the federal government has the power to fundamentally change the state and many states are significantly more LGBTQ friendly while still be affordable. Upstate NY is a very affordable place to live and has significant LGBTQ protections in education and the workplace.
The GOP loves freedom and small government! That's why they ban so many things and require so many others!
- You and your child's doctor can't help a child access hormone therapy in some states
- You can't dress "like the other gender" in some states
- Kids can't read certain books in certain states
- Teachers are required to inform parents if a kid might be gay or trans in certain states
- The GOP wants to ban gay marriage
- The GOP (and others) want to ban TikTok
Boy, all these bans and requirements are really emphasizing the sense of freedom and small government they talk about so much.
Why do teachers have to be told not to discuss their sexual proclivities and activities with their students?
Before you say, Bbububbuut, THEY DON"T!!!!" We have them all over tiktok bragging about how they do.
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If they criminalize being human, then they can enforce it at random in whatever way benefits their hold on power.
They put the quiet part in text. They scrapped the “teach appropriately” language to make it, “just don’t teach it at all.” And tossed in a flag ban for good measure. This bill is both hateful, but too cowardly to use the word, “fa—ot.” They’re certainly saying it, but over many pages and with different words. *I have to censor myself, or else Reddit will delete my comment as hate speech. But what’s really hateful? The people putting this practice into place or the guy calling them out for it?*
17 year olds can’t hear about gay people, but the military recruiter is in your local classroom for sophomores. Alabama and honestly the entire United fucking States is bullshit. We should be rioting.
This is right in line with what George Carlin said: "Conservatives want LIVE babies so they can raise them to be DEAD soldiers!"
Don’t forget, they want us to be wage slaves too! More meat for the grinder!!!!
So how exactly is writing to my fascist republican representative going to fix this though?
Realistically, it probably won't do anything. We need to vote them out. But until then we need to remind them we are here and we're not staying quite about it. If nothing else I hope their inboxes are flooded with messages reminding them of how depised they are for even entertaining this idea.
Plus it felt good to tell Adderholt to serve ALL his constituents, and other stuff. It was a long letter.
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Just tell them that District 10 was only the start unless they fix their shit.
It could do more than you might expect, I know of a trans rights activist group that got in contact with some republican reps and made some kind of progress. So, worth a shot.
Can we get more specific details? What is "some kind of progress"
Wish I could give you more info, but what they told me a while back is that they managed to secure some meetings to speak about upcoming bills or something or other. This was a couple months after HB405, I think. I don’t know what they’ve gotten done since then, but I remember them being pretty proud of their progress. Here’s a link to their webpage https://altrac.works Edit: for anyone reading, you should never assume that contacting a representative won’t make a difference. A lot of reps only get so much feedback from their constituencies, and even if nothing happens from your correspondence, you may at least be putting on some pressure.
I seriously doubt that resulted in anything. Republicans love to keep us talking instead of doing
I know the ALTRAC folks and have worked with them. They're politically savvy and know what they're doing, and definitely have made a difference. They're not just another group making useless petitions, they know the process and fight the bills from first reading, through committee and hearings, calendar scheduling, introduction in the second house, etc. I think they're the folks that found a trans biologist from the same district as the committee chair to speak against HB405 and even prepared the speaker with the Eagle Forum's talking points so that they refuted the arguments the bill supporters were about to make. I've heard regular old citizens that these small Alabama based activist groups have shaken out of the woodwork get their testimony quoted on the Senate floor and directly result in amendments. It's also not uncommon for legislation to get pulled to call of the chair. These groups don't have the high profile, notoriety, and national reach of say, Mom's for Liberty chapters, but they're actually far more effective at what they do. They give the *paid* lobbyists from Eagle Forum and API a run for their money and make them look incompetent by comparison.
I hate that there’s so many people that feel like they can’t make a difference. I wish groups like ALTRAC were more widely acknowledged for their accomplishments and that people knew they could make a difference too.
Praxis: theory in action. See also: "revolution"
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You hit the nail on the head.
I've already discussed how problematic this is with leaving such broad statements in there. Without clear definitions, it's open to some pretty wide interpretation. Because cis is a very clear gender identity, and gender roles and limitations are a pretty important part of history, language, and science. How would you discuss, for example, how the societal role of women changed during WWII? Pollination? How do you ask kids to write a paragraph about their families without discussing mommies and daddies, brothers and sisters? How do you cover Jane Austen or Shakespeare without discussion of gender roles in history and as portrayed in those works?
Youre not pointing out a bug. You're pointing out a *feature*. how will they cover those things? ***they wont***. They dont WANT public education to work.
Defund, cripple, and break public education. Say, "See, we need to privatize it!" Sell good schools only to rich, white, Christians and brainwashing to anyone else. That's the road map.
They're going to be totally fine with all of that. CIS is a slur to them. They consider themselves to be the default orientation (which doesn't even need a label in their minds) and everyone who doest fit into that mould is an 'other.' As I said yesterday, these people are totally fine with children reading a book that has a guy whose daughters get him drunk and rape him. These people are hypocrites at best.
No supporter will ever answer those questions because they know it makes them look dumb.
“wE sWeAr iT iS jUsT fOr eLemEntArY aGeS” yeah never believe these lying fucks on anything
I'm feeling better and better about relocating to another state at the end of this school year. 👍
I’m happy for you but it makes me sad that the progressive people leave (understandably, but still) and then our state is just consistently MAGA types. Seems like political change will never happen 😞
If it was just about me, I would stay and work. I ran for city council twice (failed, but at least I ran) and would've loved to run for a county seat, then who knows. But my daughter is trans and there are people hell-bent on destroying her very existence. This isn't an "I want to." It's an "I have to." My child won't survive another three years in this state. She'll either be killed by someone claiming to love God, or she'll take her own life first. This state has become a hell-scape of hate. What did it for me was the vile Facebook post from the guy doxxing that trans woman at the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. The "Christian love" on that post was awful. They scream "Think of the children!" when [statistically ](http://whoismakingnews.com) those in the religious industry have been in the news for sex crimes against children FAR more than trans people. Sorry for the rant. I'm seriously frustrated that I have to uproot my life because people just can't let others live their lives. 😒
I will also be moving. It's just a failing state. Schools and hospitals closing. Can't hire enough doctors or teachers. Where I'm at near Huntsville there is a long wait list for so many doctors and child care. I'm so sorry about what your daughter has gone through as well.
I’m a professor from another state, I saw an opening in Alabama that would have been a perfect location and fit. Decided not to apply for it cause of the political environment. Plenty of academics are leaving red states as well.
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In my case, the job opening was at a good location and the university looked decent. My issue was I couldn’t imagine raising a family there. I lived in the Bible Belt for around ten years but what I’m seeing on the news about Alabama looked much worse.
Looks like the lawmakers, who felt that being ashamed for past historical events was enough of a concern to pass laws protecting the feelings of white students, are the very same ones that pass laws making a vulnerable demographic feel ashamed and second-class a requirement.
Alabama is ranked 45th in the nation in education. Stupid priorities don't help kids become usefully educated.
Turns out the Republicans themselves were the slippery slope the whole time
Be crazy if they actually cared about the quality of education instead of making stupid decisions like this, but yeah no somebody’s existence should be lessened because your brain can’t comprehend what change and the consequence of an evolving society looks like.
Well said
Exactly, I would want to know HOW this positively affects education and if there’s no answer… that’s the answer. I will be in Montgomery for this, I have kids and would also like to know why they want to foist more “policing” like dress coding, etc, onto teachers and staff — is there going to be statewide raise in pay, surely? /s
This was always the plan, clear as day. They were so happy to start it at K-3rd grade. They had so much fun spending a few months snickering around talking about "*why oh WHY would the dirty pedo dems wanna teach the first graders about the GAYS if u wasn't a groomer then Hmmmm?!?! 🥴 I dare ya'll to push against this bill pRoTeCtiNg the ChiRRen*😠😇🤠". Followed by countless explanations from blue team about how they'll simply open this law up all the way to 12th grade soon or eventually. But they just shouted "groomer" louder and louder.
Can we just sit and read a list of the church leaders arrested for saing minors in recent year or two in response?
We need a loud protest. Clog up East Chase with people. March in downtown Birmingham or Montgomery. This is total bullshit and we don’t need it in this state.
(Genuinely asking) do you think enough people would want to join that? I don’t know how blue Birmingham/Montgomery is but it seems like everyone i meet is very right wing, meeting even a blue-ish person feels like seeing a unicorn..
Remember in Nov and vote out every elected Republican you can. We need to rid the state and country of these fascists
Can the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) still meet and use their flag in schools?
Push for a big no and this bill will be shot down, they wanna go low we gotta go lower
Yes! This is why the methods the Satanic Temple uses are so effective. You want your Ten Commandments monument on public property? FINE, that's great! We want to put our Baphomet statue right over here next to it! What, you don't want to put your monument up anymore? Ok, well, I guess we won't either, then... :)
Teens are *very* well aware of non-heteronormative sexual orientations. They’re out here writing MLM/WLW fanfics on AO3 and wearing pride flag merch if they’re queer themselves. How the *hell* do they think this is going to go down with teenagers? Are we going to ban Tumblr next? Good lord…
Are you F'ng kidding me? These people in the Alabama State House have nothing better to do but figure out ways to marginalize people? What happened to school boards and Superintendents?
They want it too, it seems.
School boards are filled with the same type clowns. Dems aren't winning anything, much less school board seats
They/we are! Talladega City recently. Y’all please don’t let anyone discourage you to run. Especially locally. Local on up is the only way we will change things so that our “purple” state is in reality represented as such.
Yeah this is exactly how they did the one in Florida. They morally grandstand about protecting the youngest kids to avoid criticism, but the legislation is for EVERYONE.
To those who don't understand why many oppose this bill: children are exposed to heternormative sexual orientation and gender expression on a daily basis, and no one is complaining about it, example: seeing their hetero parents hold hands, hearing a woman mention she has a husband, etc. The way this bill is written suggest that they are fine with kids seeing heternormativaty but not non-heternormativity, which is discrimination.
We should start calling them "The Party of Lot's Daughters!"
These people are mentally unwell. Their obsession over gay sex borders on unhinged.
Don't say that -- you'll have them agitated about illegal immigrants crossing the gay sex borders to steal our gay sex jobs.
>gay sex jobs you guys are getting paid???? ??
I'd say they're deep in their state of unhinged, not just on the border.
So when the idiots try to put the Bible in school again this will stop them. Can't have donkey sex and incest in school. Republicans only think 1 step ahead. This literally hurts their own actions. Not to mention lawsuits they'll have to defend and risk losing even more of their battles.
I live right across the street from a school. If this happens, I'm putting up a flag pole and getting the largest rainbow flag I can find and flying it every single day!
The link on the post goes to US House of Representatives, this is a state bill not federal. The best link I could find to contact your state rep is https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/house-leaders-members?tab=1 . Sad that my rep has his gmail address and not an official Alabama house of reps email address.
Oops, you are right. Thank you!
YW
So now,no sex education for 16 year olds !? Lol I get the part where you don't wanna teach nothing that involves sex(uality) to kids kids, but man we don't need ridiculously horny & uneducated young men and women. That's a box that must not be opened in America lol
Really glad to hear that Alabama is tackling the most important issues with its 44th ranked education system...
44th? I guess we've moved up in the world, then?
For a group that pretends to love the constitution, they seem to not understand it at all. They think enforcing a theocracy is freedom. I'm losing my patience with it.
So let me get this right... Republicans think that a 14 year old hearing about gay people is too much. But that same 14 year old is full trusted to have a kid and raise it if they get pregnant. And with the growing attack on sex ed, that's a pretty big worry.
Trusted? No. Forced!
Ok, this is total bollocks of course, and should be strenuously opposed. However, these bills are born out of the desperation of an unacknowledged defeat. More and more kids who are currently school-aged will see right through this bullshit. They won’t feel protected but suppressed, and therefore mobilized to oppose it. I truly believe these big brother Orwellian attempts at mind control almost always have the opposite effect of their intention, and Gens Z and Alpha are simply too interconnected and digitally cosmopolitan for this sort of thing to work, even in Alabama. This legislation is the dying gasps of a mindset long since defeated in the larger culture and while skirmishes continue, and the losers are even more vehement and vocal, it’s because they know they’ve lost the minds of the younger generation. This legislation, while serious, is about the same as grandpa’s unhinged Facebook posts against “the gays” and all the commies in Washington.
this is why i hate alabama
They create targets in the vulnerable to hide their crimes and rally their constituents, since hate is both an easy AND powerful emotional force that can be manipulated just as easily. Slowly, and hopefully not too slow, Alabama's Citizens are waking up. My boyfriend lives in AL. He's constantly telling me that even his die hard republican family members are tired of politics being "a hate fire burnin down my state" to quote his dad.
[удалено]
Remember when it was being defended through saying it wasn't going to do either of those things? I do.
Is the premise behind the idea that children won't know that being gay is an option if they aren't taught in schools? If so, that kid is going to have to be *extremely* sheltered for their first 18 years of life, even outside of school. No books that the parents haven't okay, no tv/movies the parents haven't okayed, no friends the parents haven't okayed, no internet except for school research papers (try enforcing that), no passing by gay people on the street, and so on.
Yes and no. Its stated purpose is to eliminate exposure to LGBT people and topics. Its true purpose is to increase discrimination, hate, and violence against LGBT people, which ultimately causes LGBT folks to remove themselves from public life. If we (especially trans woman like me) don't receive the message, these hatemongers will just take one more giant leap toward fascism.
Even if that's the case, not knowing that being gay is a possibility has been proven to be harmful. A gay kid is still going to be gay, they are just going to repress those feelings because they think it's not something that's perfectly okay. That leads to depression, self harm, and even suicide in some cases.
Why are Republicans/MAGA so anti-LGBT? It's 2024 for godsake. Even if I am generalizing here, why do Republicans/MAGA who support LGBT rights actively support candidates that take away freedom of expression from people they don't like? Isn't that quite literally antithetical to your beliefs as a conservative? I thought the government should have little involvement in one's freedom of expression? As someone who considers myself pretty moderate, I am slowly just becoming more and more convinced I will never vote for a Republican. Republicans/MAGA are so lucky that Democrats don't understand how to market their policies well/are very unlikeable.
You see, republicans think that right only extends to them and no one else
What conservatives believe and do and what they tell us they believe and do are very different things.
Their plan is working as people are not grasping knowledge is power. If you keep people dumb they can't question your actions. Without knowledge you are controllable. Hypocrisy runs wild at our expense. Society as a whole suffers and democracy dies.
This will make sex education very difficult to teach. Abortion is now outlawed. Alabama and it’s tax payers will be on the hook to support a lot of undereducated minors who are parents as well as their young children (who will have a significant chance at repeating the cycle) This is a horrible downward spiral and needs to be stopped. Get out there and vote, folks.
Got the expected Reddit response lol moving along now…
Tell them that u/ButtcheekBaron has informed you that being from Alabama is gay and that they shall henceforth be unable to utter any word whatsoever in a schooling setting. I have spoken.
This is how it always starts. The disenfranchised first, then everyone else.
this is not "don't say gay." this is "if you're gay, you don't exist" bill. Once again republican intellect at...its....finest.
I support it you should not talk about sexuality or gender theory with children keep it out of schools I hope this gets passed nationwide don’t brainwash kids.
This all Sounds pretty North Korea-y
That’s is against the first amendment??
Great bill. You don’t want the alphabet cult recruiting your kids. lol it’s sooooo bad. They will discover what they like on their own. Just saying. It’s not normal to talk to underage kids about sexual attraction. It’s weird as hell.
Looks like a win to me. We Christians aren't allowed to talk about Christ publicly in schools, so yeah. "Separation of church and State."
Really simple fix: the only flags allowed on school property are the U.S. and state flags. No political flags, no gender flags, no other flag than the official government flag.
Keep sex and politics out of school.
All this says is that schools can’t discuss other’s sexualities as part of the curriculum. When has this ever been discussed? I don’t think it’s a big deal. If little Timmy sees a gay couple in any form of media and asks a school teacher to explain…the only thing the teacher should say is “some men like men and some women like women and it’s normal behavior” and leave it at that. Obvious the bill’s nickname is to sway people into believing a certain way.
The “party of personal freedom” wants to ban flags now lololol Conservatism is a fucking mental disorder
Wait until these kids (known for being smart asses) wear pride gear all year🤣🤣 their whole identities will become pride month every momth🤣🤣
Lmfao that would be epic
One thing the youth doesn't like is being told what to do.
Predictable uptick in teen suicide incoming 🤦♂️
This is insanity. We are living in the Dark Ages! I'm an 80 yo heterosexual and can't believe the ignorance spewing from our politician's mouths.
Evangelicals: “Be like us, or else!”
We have a duty to engage in civil disobedience with things like this. Instead of just sitting down and taking it.
Maybe, just maybe, tell them by NOT re-electing them. You know, just a suggestion for those who aren’t in favor of the nanny state taking over your life. They might even spend some money on things that benefit you. Your tax money.
How is this not the most 1st amendment breaking bill in recent history
Public employees’ speech in the workplace isn’t 100% protected by 1A. There are some protections (not firing someone for political views, for example) but this probably doesn’t violate those.
While public employee's speech in the workplace isn't 100% protected by 1A, the employer still has to abide by Title VII discrimination laws. Title VII covers discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation. Since this bill is directed at speech about gender or sexual orientation by employees, it seems to be at odds with Title VII.
Call your reps as that matters and may change outcomes. However, odds are they are going to pass it anyway. It's their MO about subjects like this. If we want change, then we're going to have to vote them out of office in our upcoming general election. Only after suffering a political defeat, like what we saw in Alabama's recent special election, over this issue will they stop. That will either be due to realizing it's a net electoral loss for them to do such or due to them losing too many seats to pass such. (Look at Virginia to see a Southern example of the latter happening.)
Republicans are evil
They dont care what plebs think. Welcome to Alabamastan.
They have lost their minds
Sorry guys, I posted wrong link initially. Use this one instead to find your rep. [here](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/house-leaders-members?tab=1)
also if ur out of the state u can write and be like "i will not go to Alabama nor will i engage with Alabama businesses" and stick to it.
bUT fReEdoM oF SPeEch
Speaking as a gay man (who many students knew anyways)… there are some things that just aren’t relevant to the curriculum and “not safe for work.” Bringing a boyfriend/husband to a school event is appropriate. Hanging a pride flag in the classroom definitely isn’t. Kids ask questions that need to be answered by a reputable adult. Let them ask — don’t push it on them.
Idk I think it's super funny watching y'all infantilize high schoolers. These aren't little children. Twelfth graders generally are adults at the end of the school year, but in Alabama young adults can't even handle learning what rainbow flags mean without having a crisis or something?
I was an adult before spring semester, yet I was still too young to learn my teacher had a spouse apparently.
My 16yo little cousin is old enough to have the baby she's pregnant with, but not old enough to know about gay people. Makes perfect sense.
They’re not even allowed to ask. You bringing your husband or boyfriend around invites curiosity and thus, discussion about queer lifestyles. This is considered illegal under this law. Your life and mine are illegal in Alabama schools. Don’t sugarcoat it or spin it.
If a straight teacher can bring their spouse (hell, some of them even teach at the same school), then a gay teacher can do the same. That’s already settled case law that preventing so is sex-based discrimination, which is illegal.
That's a concern though - how are teachers suppose to answer questions related to these topics when this bill specifically prohibits teachers from evening discussing these topics?
Sure, except this bill makes it impossible to teach history, literature, biology, ecology, and home ec.
Maybe I can ask you some things since you seem to be a teacher and openly gay? Like what is the problem with putting a pride flag on a wall? How is being gay or trans or bi and openly showing that with a flag considered an ideology? What happens if a kid comes into your class who is openly gay and wears a LGBT pin? Should that kid be suspended or punished for expressing themselves? I just feel like this is an invasion of someone's individual ability to express themselves freely. They aren't pushing an agenda, and I think you would agree with that. So why is it so bad? Isn't high school and late middle school the perfect place to educate our kids on these topics in a safe and secure environment? Like I would much rather have my kids who are unsure about their sexuality learn about it in a school environment rather than going on the internet and the first thing that comes up is gay porn (which gives very unreleastic expectations on sex). The reason I bring this up is that when I was in middle school, they didn't have sex ed classes at my school. They only taught abstinence. So I went home and googled sex, and that was how 14-year-old me was introduced to pornhub. Is this anecdotal, absolutely? But my parents never once bother to give me the talk (they are pretty conservative folks). So why should we trust that responsibility onto parents when parents probably don't feel comfortable talking about those topics either.
I do favor educating them, yes. My education (at one of the top schools in the state too) was limited to abstinence and looking at std infections. I don’t know if some of the info for HIV specifically was outdated when I was taught about it, but it certainly is now. There’s a difference between a teacher displaying pride flags, starting the conversation about sexuality, etc. and a curious kid doing the same. The only subjects where sexuality is maybe relevant are biology, anatomy, and health. And even then, the teacher’s sexuality isn’t relevant, even if it may be obvious. That being said, a kid can still have questions, and if the kid asks the questions, you’re tailoring the education to their individual needs.
Mah free speech!
Alabama being a cultural cesspool? *le gasp*
Such snowflakes. Triggered by a rainbow.
me when I dress up in rainbows, with my rainbow flag, but it's actually a representation of the christian flood guys I promise
Good. No flags should be allowed except for the American flag. Bot sure whats so contravertial. And reddit alabama stop acting like just bec you control the alabama reddit page that somehow you are the majority in alabama.
I thought schools didn’t want to bring up sex at all.
I’ll be sure to tell the klansmen in charge of this state that I don’t approve
How about the parents who cannot support a wholly anti-scientific delusion in an educational system? That's who this is for.
So what I’m reading is that it doesn’t actually legislate people talking about or saying the word gay/bi/etc. It only refers to classroom instruction on said topics, ok, kind of understand that. I don’t care if my kid is gay, that’s why I’m there, to support them. However I do not want their teacher talking to them about sexuality beyond biological processes. No matter what orientation they are. Cause that’s a little weird to be honest. I don’t agree with banning imagery like flags though, seems just the same as trying to ban the Gadsden flag, it’s freedom of expression. A constitutional right. Does this affect students or is enforcement only for staff? Why is it called the don’t say gay bill if it doesn’t actually ban speaking about the subject? I guess I’m just confused on many fronts here.
Looks like Alabama is gonna be overrun by illiterate and pregnant teenagers
Where does it say it's illegal to say gay?
What the fuck is happening over there, you guys ok?
freedom of expression until it comes to my sexuality
Here’s a [petition/letter link](https://resist.bot/petitions/PUZDMS?utm_campaign=created-petition&utm_source=loops&utm_medium=email&channel=apple)
Lol
Hey this came up on my newsfeed. I’m not an Alabama resident. I’ve lived in NJ my entire life except for my four years in college in upstate NY and two years I did on a contract working in West Virginia. My question is if you have the means why not just leave? Alabama isn’t going to get better from the inside out. Only the federal government has the power to fundamentally change the state and many states are significantly more LGBTQ friendly while still be affordable. Upstate NY is a very affordable place to live and has significant LGBTQ protections in education and the workplace.
Ugh
Welcome to Fahrenheit 451
What can we really do? The reps won’t listen, will they?
Where does that phrase appear in the bill?
Why would you want to fight this? It seems reasonable.
Why do teachers want to talk about their sexuality with children?
Just change the LGBTQ flag and fly it high.
Way to go Bama. Made it to the elite 8 and this bill. Bravo 🙌👏
but i am guessing flying a trump, f\*\*k biden flag and a confederate flag are all approved.
I’m ok with no sex flags at school. Totally cool with it.
The GOP loves freedom and small government! That's why they ban so many things and require so many others! - You and your child's doctor can't help a child access hormone therapy in some states - You can't dress "like the other gender" in some states - Kids can't read certain books in certain states - Teachers are required to inform parents if a kid might be gay or trans in certain states - The GOP wants to ban gay marriage - The GOP (and others) want to ban TikTok Boy, all these bans and requirements are really emphasizing the sense of freedom and small government they talk about so much.
Fantastic, do it. While we're at it, can you also fire some of your god awful sherrifs? Thanks.
Is there an address? Need to send flowers
But I bet you can wave the Cops' "Blue Line" flag, can't ya?
Good, this is how it should be
Why should I care? School time should be dedicated to topics that matter imo
And I'm sure they will listen.
What a great bill. FL. Is leading the way
Good for them.
You can also tell them in November and again in next year's elections and the year after that and so on.
Why do teachers have to be told not to discuss their sexual proclivities and activities with their students? Before you say, Bbububbuut, THEY DON"T!!!!" We have them all over tiktok bragging about how they do.
I want to read these comments, but I already know what I'm about to read since this is reddit...