House Republicans introduced a bill that would ban any discussion or material in federally funded programs about LGBTQ people in any event with children under 10 years old. This is a federal "Don't Say Gay" bill.
mikejohnson.house.gov/uploadedfiles/…
Universities, public schools, hospitals, medical clinics, etc. could all be defunded if they host any event discussing LGBTQ people and children could be present. The way they define "sexually oriented material" simply includes anything about LGBTQ people.
It includes a private right of action against any government official AND private entity for a violation. This is SB8 style bounty lawsuits against anyone accepting federal funds. This will be a ban on all discussion of LGBTQ people in any entity that received federal funds.
This is the American version of Russia's gay propaganda law passed in 2013. This is their end game. To censor and ban LGBTQ from all public life and force them back into the closet.
The pretext in this bill is clear. They will troll the media about the bill being about "stripping" or drag queen story hour. In reality, the way the law is defined, it could apply to a school that has a screening of Buzz Lightyear.
I can't overstate how radical the private right of action portion is. The bill is so broadly defined that a pediatric hospital could be sued for having a pride flag or a medical pamphlet about gender dysphoria. It deputizes anti-LGBTQ bigots to engage in bounty lawsuits.
As we've seen with SB8, the lawsuits are rarely actually filed. Simply the threat of litigation is enough to create a chilling effect. Any federally funded entity will remove all references to LGBTQ people as a precaution, just as schools in Florida have done.
It is so incredibly dehumanizing and hateful for congressmembers to draft a bill that would define under federal law who I am as a queer trans woman as being "sexually oriented." As if my very existence is harmful to children. It's disgusting, heinous, and monstruous.
Here is the full list of co-sponsors. Vote accordingly.
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