ATLANTA — Georgia lawmakers are considering a bill that opponents compare to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, which seeks to limit the way teachers and others responsible for caring for minors can answer questions about the child’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
The bill, authored by Republican Sen. Carden Summers of Cordele, got its first debate at a Senate committee hearing Tuesday, but lawmakers did not vote on it. At the start of the hearing, Summers said he plans to bring the bill back with changes to accommodate criticism from parents and educators.
As written, the bill bars teachers, librarians, camp counselors and others responsible for watching over people 16 and under from engaging in discussion about “information regarding a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity, other than the child’s biological sex” without written permission from the parent, even if the child starts the conversation.
It mandates that a student’s official record must be kept under their legal name at the time of enrollment and their name or gender on the record cannot be changed unless the school receives a copy of the child’s birth certificate and a form signed by all of the child’s parents.
It also bars caregivers from instructing while “dressed in a sexually provocative manner, applying current community standards,” a provision likely aimed at drag performers.
Young LGBTQ teenagers may feel more comfortable opening up about their personal feelings with a trusted teacher or guidance counselor than their parents, said Georgia State University law professor Anthony Michael Kreis, but the bill could prevent those adults from helping.
“The state would be imposing an arbitrary barrier to vulnerable children seeking age-appropriate guidance,” he said. “And even transgender students who have the support…
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