Republicans Introduce A Federal Don’t-Say-Gay Bill Into The House Of Representatives
On Tuesday, October 18, Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson introduced the Stop The Sexualization Of Children Act of 2022. The act is being labelled by critics as a national Don’t Say Gay bill reflecting similar language to that of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, reports NBC News.
STOP THE SEXUALIZATION OF LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITIES
The bill introduced with 32 Republican congressman is intended to eliminate federal funding for programs that endorse discussions around sexual orientation and/or gender identity. In the tweet announcing the bill, Rep Mike Johnson says, “The Democrat Party and their cultural allies are on a crusade to immerse young children in sexual imagery and radical gender ideology at school and in public.”
According to NBC, the bill loosely defines sexually-oriented material as anything that mentions, depicts or emulates sexual activity, gender diversity, sexual orientation or transgenderism. The bill would have effects on public libraries, public schools, military bases and hospitals.
There are those that speculate that this legislation has arisen from the recent bout of protests and controversy surrounding children in attendance at drag brunches and drag queen story times. The success of Florida’s so-called Don’t Say Gay law with conservatives is also a factor to consider when looking at the impetus the proposed federal version of the Stop The Sexualization of Children Act.
DNA OPINION
The growing concern among conservative factions about the exposure of children to LGBTQIA+ materials constitutes textbook moral panic. Teaching the next generation about diversity in an appropriate fashion does not sexualise children, it educates them.
A research paper in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy reports that 22% of LGBTQIA+ middle-schoolers were already skipping school and feeling a lack of belonging. If more information about gender and sexuality were available the outcomes for LGBTQIA+ students would, surely, improve.
If these lawmakers are serious about stopping the sexualisation of children, we suggest they start by ending beauty pageants for children and teenagers.
