Lately, you may have heard a lot about so-called “parental rights” bills and debates in state legislatures about whether civil rights, race, and history should be taught to young people in the classroom. If you’re wondering about what these bills mean and their connections to reproductive justice, keep reading to learn more about how so-called “parental rights” threatens comprehensive sex education and the sexual health of young people.
“Parental rights” bills have been around for decades, with extremist groups advocating for increased parental supervision of subjects such as Black history, sex education, and gender and sexuality in academic settings. In the 1990s, the “parental rights” movement shifted its focus and began attacking gender and sexuality in schools. The Christian conservative and white nationalist movements began to advocate for limited sex education in schools; they were outraged at the increasing acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights, diversity, and inclusion in the educational system. Fast forward to the present day, history is repeating itself, with anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ politicians expanding the reach of so-called “parental rights” bills to include the elimination of classes and discussions centered around the civil rights movement, race, and now on limiting comprehensive sex education. These bills only perpetuate the decades-long stigma of discussing sex and do not help young people receive the accurate, fact-based information that they need to understand their bodies, relationships, and sexual health.
“Parental rights” legislation reveals an extreme agenda that is intended to infringe upon the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and youth.
“Parental rights” legislation reveals an extreme agenda that is intended to infringe upon the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and youth. These bills frequently seek to restrict access to comprehensive sex education, censor discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity, and curtail access to health care services that undermine the autonomy of students. Politicians passing these bills only perpetuate the discrimination LGBTQ+ students already face and hinder access to vital information and support to enable students to make informed decisions about their health and their identities. “Parental rights” bills pose significant threats to the safety, health, and rights of young people across America.
The last two state legislative sessions reveal this extreme agenda. In March 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed FL HB 1557, also known as the Don’t Say Gay Bill, which required Florida schools to reinforce “parents’ fundamental rights” in educational decisions involving their children. It prohibited discussions and educational materials concerning LGBTQ+ individuals, including important topics such as sexual orientation or gender identity, for certain grade levels, dangerously deeming this information “inappropriate” for children. As we know, young people deserve educational materials informing and reflecting all sexualities and gender identities.
Florida didn’t stop at FL HB 1557. The legislature also introduced more so-called “parental rights” legislation, including FL HB 1467, which required schools to grant parents access to curriculum materials. These laws required Florida schools to receive parental approval to teach materials with LGBTQ+ themes or characters, enabling parents to object to and put a stop to classroom content they disagree with. Consequently, parents had the chance to opt out their child’s learning of gender expression and sexuality and historical topics related to race, such as Black History Month and the Civil Rights Movement.
“Parental rights” bills are not bills that provide parents with more power but rather they impose white supremacist viewpoints on students, teachers, parents, and the education system.
Florida’s legislation acted as a catalyst for other states to follow suit and introduce their own “parental rights” bills. Over the past two years, multiple “parental rights” bills have been introduced and passed in various states, including Texas, Tennessee, and West Virginia. These trends are incredibly alarming, as they inhibit LGBTQ+ rights and policy protections in schools, overshadowing the expertise of teachers and educators on important educational subjects including civil rights history and social studies. “Parental rights” bills are not bills that provide parents with more power but rather they impose white supremacist viewpoints on students, teachers, parents, and the education system.
“Parental rights” bills are particularly sinister after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, the anti-abortion movement and politicians have implemented additional measures to restrict students’ access to comprehensive sex education, which compounds the harm of abortion restrictions and prohibits young people from learning about their bodies. These measures encourage discussions centered around abstinence education while prohibiting education on contraceptive usage and access, abortion care, and sexually transmitted diseases and infections. For instance, in Oklahoma, politicians have introduced a bill where reproductive and sexual health-related topics related to HIV and AIDS treatment, development, and classroom material must be annually reviewed and approved by the school district board. The bill also requires the teaching of only heterosexual relationships and an abstinence-only curriculum.
Oklahoma’s review and approval process of sexual health topics is a tactic used to prevent students from receiving sex education and imposes a heteronormative perspective on sex. Students deserve the right to comprehensive sex education to ensure they make informed and healthy decisions to protect themselves and plan for their future. Abstinence-only education deprives young people of their bodily autonomy and crucial information about their bodies. Schools that provide comprehensive education are more effective in promoting healthy decision-making regarding identities and relationships. The so-called “parental rights” legislation and bills attempting to limit sexual education is a reproductive justice issue, as many of these laws inhibit discussion and access to information about sexual and reproductive health, gender identity, and sexual orientation. These bills perpetuate negative assumptions and stigmatization of sexually transmitted diseases and infections, along with the perspective that young people cannot make their own decisions.
These bills strip away students’ opportunities to learn about themselves, and their bodies, and freely express their gender identity.
Anti-sex education politicians have also included anti-abortion rhetoric in “parental rights bills.” For example, in Idaho, politicians have pushed for a bill that prohibits school activities focusing on and even mentioning abortion while also restricting reproductive health organizations from providing sex education-related materials and instructions to students. Young people should be able to learn all aspects of comprehensive sex education and health care information, enabling them to make autonomous decisions about their bodies and well-being. These bills strip away students’ opportunities to learn about themselves, and their bodies, and freely express their gender identity.
As you can see from this overview of “parental rights” legislation, bills that limit sex education and learning of gender and sexuality are discriminatory bills that limit young people’s access to critical information. Young people are losing their basic right to safety and knowledge about themselves, their bodies, and their history. Politicians seek to control and divide people through their political power, intruding on decisions that should only be made by young people themselves, their parents, and health care providers. All young people deserve to live their lives in peace without politicians creating unsafe environments for BIPOC and LGBTQ students in and outside the classroom.
Taryn Graves
Policy Assistant