Livethread: Here we go! About to start hearings on three awful, bigoted, racist bills in the Missouri House. #DontSayGay #AntiCRT #WhiteChristianNationalism #MOLeg
I'm here today with 5 amazing teenagers from @CRCStLouis, as well as dozens and dozens of clergy, activists, and educators. All drove 2+h here, leaving at 530am, to testify against these racist, homophobic bills.
We're starting with a bill to better support deaf and hearing impaired kids here in Missouri. It's kind of wild listening to testimony on a bill that would make Missourians lives better, rather than legislated bigotry. Not used to it in #MOLeg! 
Almost always they put the 'less controversial' bills at the beginning of the hearings. This both a) lets these bills get through committee quickly, and b) massively reduces the time available for activists to testify against the legislative bigotry coming next.
The Chair just announced that there will be a hard stop at 11am for all of the hearings. We've got 5 bills to hear, a packed hearing room, and an overflow room of people wanting to testify. In no world will everyone be able to testify (they do this on purpose).
If you'd like to read the bill on additional support for deaf children in Missouri, it's #hb106 . And if you'd like to stream these hearings, you can find the link here sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00325/Harmony/…
While we're waiting for #DontSayGay and #AntiCRT, here's a view of the overflow room (photo credit: amazing activist and dear friend @akhammerman )
Just heard an update that we're going to go until 1, so hopefully all of the folks who drove out here at 530am will at least get to have their voices heard.
A House Rep (I couldn't see who it was) just unironically said that when he comes here, his first goal is to do no harm. I legit almost broke out laughing (and my jaw dropped about 3ft) #ProtectTransKids
Almost at the end of testimony on #hb106 on education for deaf Missourians. I haven't tweeted much about it, but it's been incredibly educational. And it's legit the first time I've seen the #MOLeg work to help, rather than harm, vulnerable Missourians.
Here we go on Missouri's #DontSayGay #hb634. The bill sponsor is testifying now, and clearly believes that being LGBTQ+ is a social contagion, and something that needs to be stomped out. It's really hard not to hate these people.
"We don't go around saying that George Washington was heterosexual." Ummm? Paging Martha!
These @MissouriGOP Representatives genuinely seem to believe that being straight and cis aren't sexual orientations or gender identities. They're just "normal".
The Chair just asked who was here to testify in favor of this bill.... And there were 2 hands? Meanwhile, when asked about those testifying against Missouri's #DontSayGay? THE WHOLE FREAKING ROOM!!!
Seriously, y'all: they are a superminority, but Missouri's democratic representatives (led by the inspiring, brilliant, compassionate Rep @crystal_quade) are FIRE 🔥🔥🔥
Dem Rep is now asking the bill sponsor, "I'm sorry, but who was Martha Washington?" #HeterosexualIsASexualOrientation
Omg. The @MissouriGOP bill sponsor of #DontSayGay literally just said that she is pushing this bill "because of the bible." Y'all: THIS IS WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY THIS IS ALL #WHITECHRISTIANNATIONALISM
@phlchristo is 🔥🔥🔥 right now, questioning the @MissouriGOP sponsor of #DontSayGay. He's absolutely bringing out the bigotry and ignorance behind these bills.
Now @MoRepMackey, who is a gay man and a former teacher, is asking the bill sponsor if under her bill he would be allowed to mention the existence of his husband. Sponsor: "so you would share your beliefs with them?"
These Missouri GOPers clearly, clearly believe that being LGBTQ is a "belief system" rather than a way of being human. The dehuminization of queer Missourians by their legislator is horrific. And incredibly dangerous.
Wow wow wow. @MaggieforMO is pointing out that Missouri's #DontSayGay would prohibit her mom (an educator) from talking about the challenges she had applying to medical school because she was a woman. Sponsor: "I guess that would be an unintended consequence." Omfg
Now @MaggieforMO is talking about how #DontSayGay in Missouri would make it impossible for language classes to talk about various words for family members, etc... Seriously, y'all, she's pretty incredible.
@MannForMo50, another former educator, is now questioning the bill sponsor (who keeps answering questions with "I don't know".) "There seems to be a lot about your bill that you don't seem to understand."
Now @Ashley4MO is asking why Missouri's #DontSayGay doesn't apply to private and religious schools. "If you're concerned about indoctrination, why don't you care about those kids?"
"you do know that straight and cis-gender are sexual orientations and gender identities, too, right?" @Ashley4MO #DontSayGay 🔥🔥🔥
Bill sponsor, who keeps saying that she doesn't know the answer to questions about her #DontSayGay bill, openly admits that this is simply a copy/paste job from Florida's bill. The chutzpah of these bigots!
Rep Ann Kelley (r) the #DontSayGay sponsor, is stunning in her ignorance. She doesn't know what conversion therapy is, she doesn't know who Harvey Milk was, and she can't answer basic questions about her bill. @Ashley4MO is just tearing her apart like a high school debate team.
Rep @MarleneTerry66 now asking why no bills that would actually help Missourians are ever heard by this committee, but only culture war bills that target the most vulnerable of Missourians. #ProtectTransKids #DontSayGay
Here comes testimony. Chair asks for the 1st witness in favor of #DontSayGay... And there's almost no one. So a high school student goes up. She starts: "we have to have separation of church and state"... But literally the bill sponsor said she's doing this because of the bible!
"this bill isn't about opposing the LGBTQ lifestyle... This is about preventing teachers from indoctrinating their own lifestyles on their students." These people don't see queer folks as fully human, do they?
OMFG. The first testimony in favor of Missouri's #DontSayGay literally just said that she's a part of the discriminated Christian minority (!). The chutzpah of these people!
First testimony against Missouri's #DontSayGay is powerfully talking about the importance of representation of students' identities in their education. "I asked my teacher is an author was gay, and I was told 'we don't talk about that here'"
Now a teacher is testifying in favor of #DontSayGay, and saying: "I've had students on both spectrums, the LGB...T.. stuff.... And very conservative students." Umm: what kind of educator can't tell the difference between the vulnerable and their bullies?!?
@MoRepMackey "there's a huge difference between civility and respect. The bill sponsor of #DontSayGay treats me with loads of civility... And with absolutely no respect." 🔥🔥🔥
Short recess... Back at 11ct
We're back (in a new room), and first up in opposition is Jere Hochman, a lifelong educator in @SLPS_INFO and a former superintendent at @ParkwaySchools (while I was a student).
"Every student deserves to see themselves in the history that is taught, in the books they read, and in the educators who teach them." --Jere Hochman. BAM!
"I implore you: drop these bills (#DontSayGay and #antiCRT) RIGHT NOW! I beg you: children are watching." --Jere Hochman
Chair asks for the next person in favor of #DontSayGay... AND THERE ARE NONE!!! Meanwhile, everyone else in this picture is here to testify against these bigoted bills
Wow wow wow. Passionate, letting testimony now from an educator saying #DontSayGay violates her professional ethics as an educator.
Next up is Rev @angellmike, saying that his faith is about protecting people, not bullying people. And that this bill is absolutely bullying vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth. "Part of the teacher crisis in Missouri is about government overreach.... This bill will make kids less safe."
I'm pretty sure the House chair just said that the other two bills (anti-crt and 'parents' bill of rights' will be postponed)?
"please respect *my* parental rights, and stop searching for opportunities to harm vulnerable children!" (I didn't catch her name, but her testimony was incredibly powerful)
The first of our amazing @CRCStLouis students who came here you testify is up. Y'all: we've just got to get out of the way, because these kids are gonna build the world as it should always have been.
Rep @MarleneTerry66 is beautifully asking Neon questions about their experience in school. Neon: "We just want to be kids, and do what we love, and be together in community." ❤️😍😭❤️
Now Rep @Ashley4MO (who is absolutely a Missouri treasure) asking a trans teenager about what it meant to them the first time they read a book that they saw themselves in ❤️😭🙏
Now a trans teen boy who is a sophomore at a public high school in Missouri. "This bill makes me and kids like me into a typo on a health-class syllabus. I am speaking as a student: this bill is not what I need as a student or as a Missourian."
A trans young person testifying now about the Missouri Constitution, preaching chapter and verse to LEGISLATORS 🔥. "Am I not a full person under the Missouri Constitution? This bill silences the voices and history of LGBTQ people, and that is not equal under the law."
A young trans person is now testifying through tears about the first time they tried to take their own life. When they were 7. And about how their school counselor saved their life with love, and acceptance. The room is crying along with them 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈❤️💔
@MaggieforMO "I just want to tell you how amazing you are, and to make sure you know how loved, and valuable you are." ❤️❤️❤️
Now the teen's mom (who just spoke through tears). "I am ashamed. I am ashamed to be a Missourian. These bills become more egregious, and more bigoted, year after year. You should be ashamed."
I'm going to cry through this testimony... Because my kids' teacher took the day off of school to come and stand up for her students to #ProtectTransKids
"Will teachers have to alert parents when their kids come out as straight? Because we all have gender, and we all have a sexual orientation!" ❤️😂🔥👊
Now the amazing @HeatherFSpeaks , the founder and director of MOEEP. "Why do we have to keep coming back here, terrified of every election, because our elected representatives will look to do us harm."
@HeatherFSpeaks is sooooo good. She speaks with such passion and vulnerability, and gets right to the heart of it, and to the basic inhumanity of #DontSayGay. Bless her❤️🙏
Now another amazing young person from @CRCStLouis. "This bill treats being queer like it's a mental illness. Schools are supposed to be safe, and kids are supposed to trust and respect your teachers, and this bill makes that impossible."
Another remarkable young person from @CRCStLouis is testifying. My heart is swollen with pride and admiration for these young people (and my heart is broken that we have to be here to stand up to the bigots and bullies who control our Missouri government.)
@StacyCaySlays is sharing an incredibly personal & powerful story about growing up in a highly insulated Christian world, where she didn't know of the existence of trans people. "Two of my friends I knew as kids, trans kids, killed themselves, because they didn't see a way out."
Now the fearless @the_debijackson , who has fought so hard, for so long, to create the world that every LGBTQ+ kid deserves (and the cis straight ones, too 🙃)
@akhammerman is the best. She's a lawyer, and she's talking about the expense and problematics of the litigation implications of this bill. Seriously, y'all, none of us are as cool as Amy.
And.... We're done!
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