"Don't Say LGBTQ" bills are moving nationally, and now so are we

John,

I'm Craig White, and I lead CSE's Supportive Schools team. This is going to be an in-depth email filled with some legal jargon, but long story short – North Carolina (not to mention other states) is violating Title IX with their anti-LGBTQ+ state laws that discriminate against LGBTQ+ students and families, so we're formally asking the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice to step in. It's a big moment in the fight against the "Don’t Say LGBTQ+" laws, and we’re honored to be a part of it.

Now, for the long explanation. We fought hard, but last year North Carolina passed a "Don’t Say LGBTQ+" bill (SB49) as well as a ban on trans students participating in school sports (HB574) and a ban on medically necessary care for trans youth (HB808). We’ve already received dozens of reports from students and teachers about the harm these laws are causing. SB49 is an extreme overreach to deny students an education inclusive of LGBTQ+ people and issues; it bans books with LGBTQ+ characters, forces teachers to out LGBTQ+ students to both their families and peers, adds barriers to student-teacher relationships as well as student mental health support, and effectively prevents schools from supporting trans kids in the classroom or at home. We're fighting back on every level possible – and today, we're taking this fight to the federal government.

This morning, we filed a complaint with the Department of Education and the Department of Justice asserting that SB49 and HB 574, and other policies like them, create a hostile educational environment for LGBTQ+ students and those from LGBTQ+ families in violation of Title IX. Help us spread the word on social media:
* Share our complaint breakdown on Instagram ([link removed])
* Repost our tweet on X (Twitter) ([link removed])
* Share our overview with your network on Facebook ([link removed])

We've heard stories from over 100 individuals about the harms caused by these bills so far, and some of these anecdotes are chilling. This isn't just targeting LGBTQ+ students – it's denying all students opportunities to learn in case they might be exposed to LGBTQ+ themes along the way. Some of the most eye-popping examples from NC include:
* One district pulled out of a partnership with the local library that provided universal access to library cards for all district students because students might have access to books that may include LGBTQ+ themes.
* Administrators have attempted to prohibit schools from participating in Banned Books Week and other academic explorations of historic literature.
* An advisor of a Gender and Sexuality Alliance feels forced to leave the room during meetings when conversation turns to students' personal identities so that the advisor does not learn about a student's LGBTQ+ identity, lest they be required to "out" them to parents and peers.
* Overall, school staff have flagged that S.B. 49 has had a chilling effect on any actions at all about transgender students, unfairly targeting an incredibly small segment of the population.

Laws like this have already taken effect in several states, including NC. If the federal government doesn't act now, there's no telling how many states could implement their own despicable "Don’t Say LGBTQ+" laws in the months and years ahead. Click here to read the full complaint. ([link removed]) Then help us protect LGBTQ+ students by sharing our breakdown of the Title IX complaint on Instagram ([link removed]) , X/Twitter, ([link removed]) and Facebook. ([link removed])

This is a challenging time for LGBTQ+ people, particularly transgender and gender non-conforming students. But if we don't fight back, a whole generation of LGBTQ+ students – really, all students – could be denied a complete education by these destructive, outdated laws. There's precedent at our backs, and a commitment to equality guiding our future. The federal government taking action here would help prevent other states from taking the same steps, so this is absolutely worth fighting for. I'm thankful you're a part of it with us.

If you'd like to go further in supporting our fight for LGBTQ+ equality, consider making a donation today. Every dollar is an investment in LGBTQ+ futures, and we can't take big swings at discriminatory laws without the support of people like you. ([link removed])

Thank you,
Craig White
He/They
Supportive Schools Director
Campaign for Southern Equality

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