How we're taking action in NC

John –

Across the South this fall, LGBTQ+ young people returned to school amid the most hostile anti-LGBTQ+ climate in recent history. That’s because several states, including North Carolina, Kentucky, and Florida, have adopted so-called “Don’t Say LGBTQ+” laws – draconian curriculum censorship policies that restrict discussion of LGBTQ+ topics in school, chill speech even more broadly, and in North Carolina’s case, require educators to “out” transgender students to parents, before the student may be ready.

These are cruel policies that harm all students, put educators in an impossible position, and turn the state into the chief perpetrator of anti-LGBTQ+ bullying in our schools. What’s more – they are flatly unconstitutional, clearly violating Title IX, a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in educational settings.

This week our team at the Campaign for Southern Equality published a new legal memo ([link removed]) detailing the many ways that North Carolina’s S.B. 49 (the state’s “Don’t Say LGBTQ+” law) creates a hostile educational environment and thus violates Title IX. We attended the Asheville City School Board meeting on Monday to speak out against S.B. 49 and show support for LGBTQ+ students. And news outlets across the state have covered the memo as school boards tackle how – or if – they will implement S.B. 49.

To support students, families, school staff and school leadership across the state, we have launched a new S.B. 49 organizing hub, which links to the legal memo, template letters that North Carolinians can send to local decision-makers, and news stories about the chaos caused by S.B. 49. Click here to check out the S.B. 49 Resource Hub, and spread the word widely. ([link removed])
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Right now LGBTQ+ youth across the South are facing an unprecedented crisis. Schools are being used as laboratories for far-right anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and censorship; bans on life-saving, gender-affirming healthcare are being rammed through in state after state; and young people are hearing an unmistakable message from the government that they do not belong.

The mission before us – all of us – is to counter that message at every single turn. We need to make it clear that a majority of Southerners support and affirm LGBTQ+ equality and want young people to thrive as their authentic selves. We need to be sure queer and trans youth know that they unequivocally belong, and that millions of Americans are fighting alongside them for their dignity and humanity.

Our actions this week against S.B. 49 and the “Don’t Say LGBTQ” law in North Carolina are one way that CSE is pushing back and amplifying a hopeful message for queer youth. If you’re inspired by this work, please join us by making a donation of $50, $25, or whatever you can right now. All donations made in October will be doubled dollar-for-dollar by a generous donor. ([link removed])

We’ll keep moving forward, together.
Craig White
He/They
Supportive Schools Director
Campaign for Southern Equality

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