LGBTQ+ Reps. condemn 'outrageous' forced outing bill advancing in Congress
The Committee on Education and the Workforce has advanced a bill that would forcibly out transgender students to their guardians. The committee voted Wednesday to report H.R. 736, the so-called “PROTECT Kids Act,” favorably out of committee, meaning it will now go to the U.S. House of Representatives for vote. The legislation would require elementary and middle schools that receive federal funds to forcibly out trans students if they wish to alter their gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name. This also encompasses which school facilities they are permitted to use, such as bathrooms and locker rooms.The bill previously passed the House in 2023 as part of Republicans’ so-called “Parents Bill of Rights Act” (H.R. 5) with bipartisan opposition; every Democrat and five Republicans voted against it, while every other Republican voted in favor. Even if the bill advances out of the House, it is unlikely to pass the Democrat-controlled Senate or be signed into law by President Joe Biden. The Congressional Equality Caucus, a bipartisan group of out representatives who promote LGBTQ+ equality, has condemned the legislation, with chair Mark Pocan slamming Republicans' priorities for student safety in the wake of a mass shooting at a Georgia high school in which four people were murdered. “Just a week after a deadly school shooting, Republicans on the Education and the Workforce Committee decided that, instead of working to protect kids, their time would be best spent attacking the ones they don’t like—trans kids. It’s outrageous,” Pocan said in a statement. “While many young trans people have loving and accepting families, some do not. By forcing teachers and administrators who want to take certain steps to affirm trans students to out those students instead, MAGA Republicans are endangering the safety and wellbeing of students whose families may not accept them, all to score some cheap political points.”
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