Don't Say Gay Growing in England}} Pressure To Be Less Gay in UK
![]() |
Intersex-Inclusive Pride flags, designed by Valentino Vecchietti and used to represent the LGBTIQ+ community, hang across Regent Street ahead of Pride parade in London, Britain, June 26, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights |
By Anna Barrett who is a journalist covering Alabama education policy and government for States Newsroom. She has worked at Alabama Daily News and Jacksonville State University's student outlet The Chanticleer.
An Alabama House committee approved legislation to expand the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law throughout K-12 public schools on Wednesday.
HB 244, sponsored by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, would prohibit public school teachers at all grade levels from teaching or discussing gender identity or sexuality. The legislation also prohibits the display of pride flags and insignia in the classroom.
An amendment from Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, was adopted unanimously to remove a portion of the bill that would prohibit referring to students by their preferred gender if it conflicts with their assigned sex at birth.
HB 246, sponsored by Rep. Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, would give public educators legal immunity and students immunity from discipline for using a person’s legal name and pronouns aligned with their reproductive organs, instead of the name and gender with which they identify.
“Some felt there was another bill that is addressing that issue. So it’s still there to some degree,” Butler said.
The law currently bans such discussions from kindergarten to fifth grade, but Butler said the expansion aligns with President Donald Trump’s agenda and executive order.
“We’re trying to get as close as we could to President Trump’s executive order,” Butler said.
The House Education Policy Committee held a public hearing on the legislation last week, which drew significant criticism from mostly transgender and nonbinary Alabamians. Former Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, the first openly gay representative elected to the Alabama Legislature, said her sexuality did not make her colleagues gay.
“And you all who served with me know that. Just because I served with you doesn’t mean that you became gay either,” she said last week.
Butler said the law will improve public education.
“If you saw the headlines yesterday, there were almost 40,000 applicants for the CHOOSE Act, telling you that clearly there’s dissatisfaction of what we’re doing with public education, and this will actually help,” he said.
The bill will now be considered by the full House.
UK's LGBTQ Feel Pressure to Be Less Gay
Intersex-Inclusive Pride flags, designed by Valentino Vecchietti and used to represent the LGBTIQ+ community, hang across Regent Street ahead of Pride parade in London, Britain, June 26, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
LONDON, April 10 (Reuters) - LGBTQ+ professionals in Britain still feel pressured to downplay their identity at work, with some changing their appearance, voice or behaviour to avoid discrimination or to be taken seriously, a new report said on Thursday.
Pride in Leadership, a network of LGBTQ+ business leaders, called for stronger rights protecting members of the community and urged companies to do more to stamp out homophobia and transphobia disguised as "banter".
The not-for-profit, which surveyed 1,000 LGBTQ+ professionals between June and November last year in its first such report, said 85% of respondents encountered career obstacles due to their identity.
It found that 34% of respondents said their identity negatively affected their earlier education, with some still feeling like they have to "be less gay" after being encouraged to suppress their sexuality when they were younger.
Over half said it influenced their career choices, prompting them to avoid certain sectors or roles due to fears of discrimination or lack of support.
"This research reflects what I've seen as a gay leader," Matt Haworth, co-founder of Pride in Leadership, said. "From homophobia in meetings to being invited on trade missions to a country where I could be sentenced to death just for being me... the playing field is far from level."
"Everyone deserves a fair chance to succeed - regardless of who they love or how they identify," Haworth added.
Official data from the 2021 Census showed that around 1.5 million people in England and Wales identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or another sexual orientation.
Comments