On Tuesday, witnesses testified on a bill that would force all teachers and public school employees in Ohio – including school social workers, counselors and school psychologists – to provide access to parents of LGBTQ+ students.
HB 8, called the “Parents Bill of Rights” by its Republican sponsors, passed the Ohio House of Representatives in June and now sits on the Senate Education Committee.
The bill also requires parents to be notified of any representations of LGBTQ+ identities in the elementary and middle school curriculum. This may include depictions of same-sex parents in children’s books, a student showing a napkin from a same-sex wedding to a sibling, or screening of a novel Disney movie.
Opponents of the bill outnumbered supporters of the bill by more than 5 to 1 at Tuesday’s hearing.
Here are 13 of the most memorable quotes from Tuesday’s hearing.
1. “Why would I want to be a teacher in Ohio when my legislators are so obsessed with gender and sexuality that they don’t have time to pass legislation that would actually improve our schools? Why would I want to be a teacher in Ohio when my legislators are proposing laws that would prohibit me from putting family photos on my desk or talking about my family at all? Because this bill does not define “sexual concepts” or “gender ideology,” some have argued that my wedding photo or the questions it may raise qualify as one or the other.”
– Amanda Erickson, Kaleidoscope Youth Center, with a background in education
2. “A young person is an expert on his or her own life, identity and experience. So if this young person feels that the safest person to turn to first is their teacher, guidance counselor or school janitor, this does not necessarily mean that they will never come out to parents and families, and it certainly does not mean that their teacher, counselor, or janitor has the right to come out to a student on their behalf. It simply means that a young person exercises their autonomy and privacy by choosing when they feel safe and comfortable to come out, and they have every right to do so. But the thing is, even if it means this young person will never come out to their parents or family, that’s okay too! All people, including young people, have the right to their own privacy.”
– Mallory Golski, Kaleidoscope Youth Center
3. “If you are considering pushing this bill through, I want to ask you: what are you afraid of? What problem are you trying to solve? Trance inevitability? Trans youth? Trans-future? Because I’ll tell you what transgender kids across the state are afraid of: coming out to family members and being kicked out because of it.”
– Cody Clark, opponent
4. “As this committee is aware, HB 8 requires school districts to notify a student’s parents of any changes in the student’s services or monitoring related to the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being or the school’s ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for the student.”
– Gary Daniels, ACLU of Ohio, rebutting Chairman Andrew Brenner (D-Delaware)’s claim that the bill does not force teachers and school staff to make disclosures to parents of LGBTQ+ students, which blatantly confirms the bill’s language.
5. “Why would a pregnant student report to the school nurse for morning sickness, knowing that the information should be shared with her parent, who would then kick her out of the house? What happens when a guidance counselor may be the only safety valve a high school student has regarding his or her questions about gender identity or sexual orientation, but now the information provided by the vulnerable student must be disclosed to other school personnel as would be necessary to ensure compliance with HB 8 and with the most loving and supportive parents as well as the most aggressive and threatening parents. No exceptions.”
– Daniels, emphasizing that HB 8 has far-reaching impacts for all students, not just LGBTQ+ students
6. “Already overworked school counselors simply do not have time to report on our changing needs assessments with the frequency with which they occur for each affected parent.”
– Heather Fairs, Ohio School Counselor Association, on why implementing HB 8 is simply unsustainable
7. “If students know that school counselors will be forced to reveal what has been communicated in private meetings, more and more of our students may be hesitant to come to us about sensitive issues that would require the most emotional support.”
– Bargain, on the chilling effect HB 8 would have
8. (*13*) language or coping skills to be able to tell parents.”
– Liam Strausbaugh, National Association of Social Workers (Ohio Chapter)
9. “If this bill had been passed when I was in school, I wouldn’t be here today. My mother would shoot me.”
– Annie Stillion, opponent
10. “Even though the Ohio Legislature only passed 15 bills this year, we held 25 hearings and were counting on anti-LGBTQ+ bills like this one.”
– Maria Bruno, Equality Ohio
11. “This bill became the Don’t Say Gay or Trans 2.0 Act.” Teachers will find themselves in impossible situations during normal classroom discussions, and any mention of LGBTQ+ identity can put their entire career at risk. Something as basic as a photo of a teacher’s family on their desk, or a student’s family or identity organically emerging as a topic, and teachers will be placed in an impossible situation. This is not hyperbole.”
– Bruno, on the part of the bill that bans the curriculum
12. “Most scandalous [teachers] they conceal information about students’ mental and emotional health from parents. This occurs primarily when the student identifies as LGBT.”
-Lisa Chaffee, a supporter, describes “activist teachers” who have conversations that Chaffee says they shouldn’t have “for moral reasons.”
13. “We don’t cooperate with the government.”
– Chaffee in an ironic statement considering Chaffee testified in favor of HB 68, which would have abolished the government’s right for parents to make health care decisions for their transgender children
START ACTION
- To register to vote or check your eligibility to vote in Ohio, click here.
- To find the contact information for your Ohio State Representative, click here.
- To find a list of contact information for members of the Ohio Senate Government Oversight Committee, click here.
- To add your name, company or non-profit organization Equality, OhioStatewide “Ohio is Home” sign-on letter calling on lawmakers to reject HB 68 click here.
