In a decisive move, the Alabama state House of Representatives advanced three legislative measures aimed at regulating LGBTQ+ matters within the state. On Thursday, Republican members approved these measures, which include extending the “Don’t Say Gay” law to cover kindergarten through 12th grade, prohibiting drag performances in specific public spaces, forbidding the display of LGBTQ+ Pride flags in public schools, and restricting school employees from using students’ preferred names and pronouns. Additionally, a requirement for all public education institutions, including colleges, to display the Ten Commandments was included. These bills will now proceed to the state Senate for further consideration.
The first measure, HB 244, aims to ban any classroom instruction related to gender identity or sexual orientation from prekindergarten through 12th grade in public schools. It also prohibits education employees from displaying flags or insignia that represent sexual orientation or gender identity within the classroom, explicitly targeting the LGBTQ+ Pride flag. Furthermore, it restricts school employees from using pronouns that do not align with a student’s biological sex.
The second proposed law, HB 67, seeks to prevent public K-12 schools and libraries from knowingly hosting or sponsoring drag performances in the presence of minors without parental or guardian consent. Drag is defined here as a performance where the performer’s gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth, creating potential implications for transgender individuals.
The third legislative initiative, HB 178/SB 166, mandates the display of the Ten Commandments and an accompanying context statement in a common area of each school governed by local education boards or higher education institutions. The legislation specifies that schools are not required to utilize their funds for this purpose, allowing for donations instead.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alabama has voiced strong opposition to these measures. The organization argues that mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public school settings is unconstitutional, citing the First Amendment’s assurance that individuals, not government bodies, should decide their religious beliefs. The ACLU asserts that such displays in classrooms compromise students’ ability to focus on learning in a safe environment.
Additionally, the ACLU condemned the proposed drag ban, viewing it as an infringement on the First Amendment rights concerning freedom of expression. The organization emphasized that drag performances are a legitimate form of expression and cautioned against state censorship based on subjective opinions regarding their appropriateness.