Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants to pass legislation modeled after Florida’s widely criticized “Don’t Say Gay” bill, the Texas Tribune reports, citing an email circulated by Patrick’s campaign.
Patrick, the architect of a failed 2017 bill that would have barred transgender Texans from public restrooms, said the Florida-style ban on classroom instruction will be discussed by the Education Committee, the Tribune reports. That could set the stage for such a proposal to advance when the next session of the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature starts in January.
“I will make this law a top priority in the next session,” pledged Patrick, a Republican whose office allows him to set the agenda for the Texas Senate.
The Florida law, passed last month over the objection of human-rights groups, stops teachers from offering classroom instruction that mentions sexual orientation or gender identity for children below fourth grade. It also bans similar instruction deemed not “age appropriate” for older students.
Republicans who backed the Florida law say it gives parents more control over what their kids learn. However, critics argue that it’s only the latest legislation pushed by red state lawmakers in a bid to marginalize LGBTQ+ people.
In a statement to the Tribune, Texas Freedom Network Executive Director Val Benavidez called Patrick’s plan to ape the Florida measure a “stain on Texas.”
“Gender expression by children is not something that is scary or harmful. What is scary is that political activists are grasping at power by overstepping into the lives of Texas families and education of students,” Benavidez added. “While politicians use hate speech that is far from center to harm our vulnerable youth, we will continue to love our children and make sure that all families are uplifted in public life.”
Emulating the “Don’t Say Gay” law is on-brand for Patrick, who’s used his position in the Texas Senate to push for a litany of anti-LGBTQ+ proposals since his attempt to force through the bathroom bill three sessions ago.
In February, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a fellow Republican, ordered the state’s child welfare agency to investigate parents of children who are receiving gender-affirming care. That order has since been halted by a court challenge.
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This article appears in Mar 23 – Apr 5, 2022.
