Missouri’s public school teachers may have to inform parents if their children express discomfort or confusion regarding their gender identity. A bill advanced in the state senate earlier this week would require K-12 school staff to notify parents if students express confusion or discomfort about their gender identity. The bill also mandates that if a student asks to use different pronouns, school staff must inform guardians within a day. The measure is intended to prevent schools from “indoctrinating kids,” according to Republican committee leader Sen. Andrew Koenig. Under the bill, teachers would be prohibited from using a student’s preferred name unless they obtain parents’ permission.
The bill’s original version contained provisions that went further than a Florida law, which has been dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by critics. Those provisions would have forbidden teachers who are not licensed mental health providers from discussing LGBTQ issues with students without prior permission from their parents. Such provisions were stripped from the bill in committee.
According to the revised Missouri bill, school staff are also prohibited from encouraging minors to “adopt a gender identity or sexual orientation,” wear specific clothes, obtain specialized therapy, or receive gender-affirming medical treatments without the permission of their parents. In the event of violations, parents can file civil lawsuits, and districts would be required to attempt to revoke or suspend teachers’ licenses.
The bill has been opposed by Democrats, including the only openly gay senator in the Missouri state, Greg Razer. Razer fears that students may be “terrified” to tell their parents, and that, in some cases, they could even be kicked out. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Rick Brattin has argued that schools should not “force an ideology upon them or to aid and abet” behind parents’ backs.
