Anti-LGBTQ legislation will kill queer youth

By Coligny Dana, ‘22

Seven years ago, LGBTQ Americans crowded the steps of the Supreme Court and rejoiced in the legalization of gay marriage across the US. The crowds cheered and waved rainbow flags. Couples kissed, knowing they were finally free. The past was rewritten. The future was bright for the youth in America.

And now, seven years later, the United States has taken a giant leap backward. The recent introduction of anti-LGBTQ bills, including laws prohibiting the discussion of LGBTQ+ relationships and the exclusion of transgender youth from participating in sports, uncovered the haunting homophobia that remains prevalent in America.

Most recently, a Florida bill was proposed and passed through the state senate, called the Parental Rights in Education bill. While the bill’s name may sound positive, the intent is to limit the freedoms of LGBTQ+ youth.

SB 1557 “requires district school boards to adopt procedures… for notifying students’ parents of specified information… to reinforce fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding upbringing & control of their children….”

The first part of the bill allows parents to have control over the identities and orientations of their children. The second part forces teachers and school administration to take action against children who discuss their sexual orientation.

SB 1557 further “…prohibits school districts from adopting procedures or student support forms that prohibit school district personnel from notifying parent about specified information or that encourage student to withhold from parent such information… prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels…authorizes parent to bring action against school district to obtain declaratory judgment….”

It is ridiculous that parents can censor same-sex relationships, while discussions of heterosexual relationships are appropriate for the classroom. This control over LGBTQ conversations stigmatizes these relationships and isolates queer youth.

The bill was sponsored by Joe Harding, a Florida House Representative. Harding has promoted the bill as putting the power back in the hands of the parents.

Other proponents of the bill have endorsed it as creating safer classes by limiting ‘inappropriate’ discussions in primary school classrooms. Truthfully, they are taking sexuality out of education and labeling same-sex relationships as dirty.

Many LGBTQ allies and spokespeople worry that these bills will severely harm queer youth. Will Larkins, a high schooler from Florida, expressed his concern for other teens in a personal essay from the New York Times.

“Last October, I attended a high school Halloween party. A group of guys from my school surrounded me and shouted homophobic slurs. When I broke down crying in class the next day, my teacher comforted me. She told me that she had gone through something similar when she was my age.”

Larkins goes on to explain a portion of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ that bars students from discussing sexuality with their teachers, which could cause both students and teachers to face punishment.

“Had the proposed law been in effect last year, my teacher could have put herself in jeopardy by being there for me.”

Frank C. Worrell, the president of the American Psychological Association, emphasized what isolation bills like ‘Don’t Say Gay’ will cause for young LGBTQ kids.

“Prohibiting classroom discussion on these topics sends the message that identifying as LGBTQ is inherently wrong, stigmatizing and marginalizing children who may realize their difference at a young age.”

Additionally, the bill might forcibly out students to their parents. ‘Don't Say Gay’ makes it mandatory for teachers to report any conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity to the school administration, who will inform parents.

If a child lives in a household where it is unsafe to discuss these topics, they may be punished. The harsh reality is that outed students may be more likely to experience depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts.

In 2018, a study from the HRC Foundation and the University of Connecticut found some horrific statistics on LGBTQ youth. According to the study, about 77% of surveyed teens reported feeling depressed, and more than 70% of LGBTQ youth reported feelings of worthlessness.

Furthermore, a 2019 study from the Trevor Project found that 39% of LGBTQ youth considered suicide, and two out of three people reported that others tried to convince them to change their sexuality. The recent legislative changes will amp up these feelings in LGBTQ youth and create other unsafe situations for queer kids.

Hannah Langer, a CGS senior and co-leader of the Straight and Gay Alliance (SAGA) at CGS, expressed her concerns for LGBTQ youth across America.

“I’m not worried about myself and bills in Oregon, but I’m definitely worried about LGBT students living in those states. It makes me feel sad that there are parts of our country where that is happening still.”

Jane Ziegler, another leader of SAGA, echoed these sentiments over text.

“It feels like an attack on a community that I am a part of and deeply invested in, and I worry a lot about how it will affect people who aren’t as fortunate as I am to live in a safe environment.”

While Ziegler, Langer, and I may not have to worry about specific bills in our state, we can still feel the ramifications from Florida in our communities. There has always been a threat to opening up about sexual orientation and gender identity; thus, this bill pushes forward uncertainties about our identities.

Sadly, this atrocious Florida bill is not the only anti-LGBTQ legislation proposed in 2022. A bill in New Hampshire categorizes gender reassignment surgery as child abuse. Bills in Kansas and Utah prohibit transgender youth from participating in sports teams that align with their gender identity.

These discriminatory bills contribute to the hateful rhetoric running through our country. Other members of the CGS community shared how other countries around the world have dealt with LGBTQ rights.

Enrique Escalona, an Upper School Spanish teacher from Seville, Spain, expressed the LGBTQ climate in Spain. When Spain was under the authoritarian power of Francisco Franco, same-sex relationships were illegal. Escalona shared an anecdote about his godfather.

“With Franco, it was a completely different idea. Being gay was a criminal act. My godfather was gay his entire life, and he was in the closet until his 50s, even though everybody who loved him knew. He had to hide all the time.”

Escalona ecstatically expressed that LGBTQ people were free after Franco’s death in 1975.

“But that ended at the end of the ’70s. There was an open door to be whoever you wanted to be and to love whoever you wanted to love.”

Conversely, upper School Math teacher Kenny Nguyen shared how Vietnam is not as culturally accepting.

“[In] Vietnam and a lot of South Asian countries, it is very complicated. Vietnam suffers from a two-prong thing: one of the climate itself has never been accepting, you see it in the literature, sketch comedy shows, you see it in stereotypical depictions of what it means to be androgynous,” he said.

Despite this rhetoric, there are governmental desires to be more progressive than the U.S.

Nguyen said, “at the same time, you have a government that wants to purport that they are more progressive than the west. Culturally, it’s still taboo; it’s still unsafe to come out. It’s still socially considered taboo with pockets of progressivism; it’s not a safe place for LGBTQ people.”

These issues are not limited to one country or people but rather a fundamental fear of different identities.

Sexuality is already so difficult to discuss in our society and worldwide. The creation of laws that limit the freedom of speech and expression will severely impact our youth. Making sexuality a taboo thing to talk about, a subject that is sensitive and scary many to deal with, threatens the lives of vulnerable people around the country.

In a country that claims to be free, it is embarrassing that we continue to take significant leaps backward. The attempts to ban critical race theory, the extreme limits on abortions, and the most recent display of anti-LGBTQ legislation stunt the United States’ progression towards the future.

However, there are ways to move forward. There are several organizations that aim to help LGBTQ youth, including the It Gets Better project, Stomp Out Bullying, and the Q card Project. More organizations and resources are available here.

Furthermore, many states across the country have taken initiatives through protests, including Florida, Colorado, and New York — if you are able, you can get involved by spreading information about demonstrations or participating in them.

The most important thing we can all do for our friends and family is support them through their choices and changes. The mental health of LGBTQ people is being threatened; hence we must show kindness and compassion, be listeners, and provide safety.