House Committee Advances Bill To Restrict Promotion Of LGBTQ+ Lifestyles In TN Textbooks (Update 3/17/22)
***Update 3.17.22 – The Senate version of the bill (SB1216) was rolled in the Senate Education Committee calendar to 3/23/22. You can find the contact information for the committee members below. ****
Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
A bill that would restrict Tennessee textbooks from promoting LGBTQ+ lifestyles continues to move forward in the state legislature.
House Bill 0800, sponsored by Representative Bruce Griffey (R-Paris-District 75), was heard by the House Finance, Ways, and Means Committee on Tuesday. If passed, the bill would prohibit textbooks and other instructional materials that “promote, normalize, support, or address lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender issues or lifestyles.”
In his explanation before the committee, Griffey said that many parents “feel like materials that promote LGBTQ issues should be subject to the same restrictions and limitations that there are on other religious teachings that are not allowed in our schools.”
Representative Bob Freeman (D-Nashville-District 56) countered that students needed to be able to see people like themselves in textbooks.
“Implore us to allow these people to see themselves in books and in the libraries. People go to school to broaden their horizon, to learn about other cultures, to learn about different people, different lifestyles, socioeconomic groups, different races, and religions,” Freeman said.
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This sentiment was continued by Representative Larry Miller (D-Memphis-District 88).
“Let’s assume there are thousands of Tennessee citizens that are gay, that are lesbians, but what you’re imposing, what you’re saying to them, to the rest of us, ‘We don’t really want to know that you are here. We don’t want to know that you are here,” Miller argued.
Freeman and Miller voted against the bill, along with Representatives Karen Camper (D-Memphis-District 87), John Gillespie (R-Memphis-District 97), and Johnny Shaw (D-Boliver-District 80).
Republicans argued that it was a bill that would promote fairness in what is taught in school systems by placing limitations on what can be done with taxpayer money to promote these ideas.
“We are not restricting free speech whatsoever. We are not dictating that folks of this lifestyle should change anything. This is strictly what our public dollars, what our taxpayers, are paying for on a day-to-day basis, and promoting and being promoted in our school systems,” said Representative Chris Todd (R-Madison County-District 73).
The bill has been referred to the House Calendar and Rules Committee for scheduling for a vote on the House floor. If the bill is passed, it would go into effect on July 1, 2022, making the State Textbook Commission unable to recommend or approve textbooks that promote this lifestyle after that date.
The Senate version of the bill (SB1216), sponsored by Senator Frank Niceley (R-Strawberry Plains-District 8) was passed on first and second consideration and referred to the Senate Education Committee and has appeared on their calendar to be heard on March 23rd. Find the Republican members contact information below.
Senate Education Committee
Jon Lundberg (Acting Chair) – sen.jon.lundberg@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-5761
Mike Bell – sen.mike.bell@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1946
Rusty Crowe – sen.rusty.crowe@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2468
Ferrell Haile – sen.ferrell.haile@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1999
Joey Hensley – sen.joey.hensley@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3100
Brian Kelsey – sen.brian.kelsey@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3036
Bill Powers – sen.bill.powers@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2374
Dawn White – sen.dawn.white@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-6853
As with any legislation, this Act will have to pass both the House and Senate before heading to Governor Lee’s desk for his signature to become law.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
The Democrat response to this bill is expected. Their reasons sound valid but do not meet the “smell” test. People need “to see people like themselves” in textbooks is one reason given. Do LGBQT people look different from straight people? It isn’t their looks, it’s their actions that distinguish them. “People go to school to learn about other cultures, different people, different lifestyles, socioeconomic groups, different races, and religions…” sounds so professorial, but this learning reveals the good and bad points about these groups. I doubt that any negative comments would be acceptable about LGBTQ groups. Since homosexuals cannot reproduce naturally, their only means of surviving is recruitment. That’s the real reason this and similar bills are rejected by their supporters.