The Indiana state Senate passed a bill that would require schools to notify parents if their child requests a name, pronoun, title, or word change at school. Critics worry that this could put transgender students at risk by potentially outing them to their families. Republican lawmakers, who dominate the state Senate, pushed for the bill, which opponents see as part of a nationwide trend of Republican-led legislatures seeking to limit LGBTQ+ rights, particularly in targeting transgender individuals in their everyday lives.
The bill was first introduced in the House in February, and under its provisions, schools would need to provide written notification to a child’s parent or guardian within five business days of the child requesting to be called a different pronoun, title, or word. Supporters argue that this approach would give parents more say in how their children are raised. Republican State Senator Stacey Donato, one of the bill’s sponsors, said before Monday’s vote that “we know parents’ rights are important, and they need to know what’s going on in their child’s life at school.”
Opponents of the bill, who have protested against it at the Statehouse this session, argue that it could make it harder for LGBTQ+ students to express themselves and get the support they need. They also point out that the bill would bar schools from teaching “human sexuality” to children in pre-K through third grade. Critics say that this could lead to a lack of discussion about LGBTQ+ individuals in classrooms out of fear that such topics might be considered “human sexuality,” a term not defined in the bill.
If approved, the measure would then go to Republican Governor Eric Holcomb, who recently signed a ban on all gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Democratic State Senator J.D. Ford, the Legislature’s only openly gay member, called the bill insulting to the teaching profession and argued that it did not protect children or parental rights.
In Indiana, as in many other states, the debate over LGBTQ+ rights is ongoing, and bills like this one highlight the ongoing struggle for transgender and other LGBTQ+ individuals to be recognized and supported in their communities.