An organization in Illinois educates parents of queer youth, a Utah bill that bans Pride flags advances, and an Iowa bill would prohibit LGBTQ lessons in K-12.
Group Educates Parents Of Queer Youth
PFLAG, an organization that provides a safe space for parents of LGBTQ youth to open up about their emotions, only has one chapter in southern Illinois – but its presence in the state doesn’t go unnoticed.
Lisa Allen, the president of the southern Illinois chapter in Edwardsville, told the Intelligencer has members from all around the state.
Allen, who joined PFLAG when her daughter came out at 16 years old, said the organization’s growing presence has been a guiding light for parents.
"We tend to help family members and allies and give them a safe place to ask questions and learn and grow so that we can be better allies to our loved ones," Allen said.
Bill Banning LGBTQ Flags Advances
Rep. Trevor Lee. Photo via house.utleg.gov.
A Utah bill prohibiting the display of Pride flags in public schools and government buildings advanced to the House, according to the Utah News Dispatch.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Trevor Lee, said it would contribute toward achieving “political neutrality” in classrooms.
“The education system in our schools should be a place for children to learn, to not feel like they’re being pushed or seen as agendas in one way or another as it pertains to political beliefs,” Lee said.
Members of the public spoke out during a public hearing, with many expressing support for the bill. But one mom, Jennifer Rowley, said the Pride flag is “a symbol of safety, inclusivity and love.”
Bill Would Prohibit K-12 LGBTQ Lessons
Illustration by Craig Tuggle.
Iowa already has a law that prevents instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in K-6 classrooms. Now, lawmakers are hoping to extend that rule through 12th grade.
According to the Des Moines Register, a three-person House subcommittee voted to advance the bill banning instruction on LGBTQ topics through high school.
"I am tired of parents sending [me] pictures of classrooms with rainbow flags and transgender flags, some of which are bigger and longer and displayed much more boldly than the American flag or the Iowa flag is," Rep. Skyler Wheeler said. "I am sick of it."
However, opponents of the bill argue that it will interfere with objective historical lesson plans.
"I won’t be able to teach my students fully about World War II because some of the folks who were targeted in the Nazi concentration camps were queer individuals," Rep. Elinor Levin, one of Iowa's few openly queer lawmakers, said. "I would not be able to teach fully about the AIDS crisis. I would not be able to teach about the Stonewall riots."
Critics of the bill argue it’s Iowa’s version of a “Don’t Say Gay” law.
