America vs. The People: Discourse on the LGBT Community.

Bills deemed by many Americans as “anti-lgbt” are being brought up in the senate today. Over the past few years, the LGBTQ+ community has been the hot topic of discussion amongst lawmakers. One of the most well known and one of the first bills to be brought up is Florida’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay'' bill. This name came from the opposing team and it basically bans the discussion of gender identity or sexual orientation in schools. Any teacher who was caught talking to students about these topics would be fired and the parents of the aforementioned student(s) would be told.

Although, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Senate Floor Amendment 2 of the Kentucky House Senate Bill 150 “prohibits a school policy from forcing a teacher to violate his or her principles.” This is essentially saying that if a teacher does not agree with something, they do not have to be forced to, i.e. pronoun use. Ms. Leann Boisvert, an english teacher at EHHS, claims that this is playing with the mental health of students. She believes that it is trans people, especially trans children, who are the most targeted group in these bills. Studies show that trans kids who have received gender-affirming care are 73% less likely to self-harm or become suicidal. Ms. Boisvert says, “what we are trying to do as a community is protect the most at-risk groups and provide them with healthcare.”

Many social media users believe that we are currently in the 7th stage of genocide. Mostly being compared to the Holocaust, they use their knowledge to make connections to today. The 7th stage is when laws are being created to make it nearly impossible for people in these targeted groups to live. Ms. Boisvert claims that even though it may not seem like it at first, we understand from history class that it takes steps. 

Another group that is being targeted is drag artists. While being very closely related with the LGBTQ+ community, not only gay people participate. Season 13 of RuPaul’s Drag Race was the first season to have a straight, cisgender male compete, Maddy Morphosis. Controversy sparked when a video of children at a drag show started to circulate social media. The problem was that the space where the performance was has a glowing sign that reads, “It’s not gonna lick itself,” a rather vulgar statement. As the video spread, lawmakers in Texas, the state where the video was taken, caught wind of it and started to wonder how cautious drag queens are with the term “child friendly.” More videos start popping up and some republicans are fighting back by going to drag shows and berating the performers, even if there were no children there. A bill in Tennessee was passed that puts a restriction on “adult cabaret performances.” These performances can not occur within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks, or places of worship. Many drag performers rely on gigs to be able to have necessities like shelter, transportation, and food so putting hard restrictions on their work makes it difficult for them to make a living.

What can you do?

- Research more into issues that may directly affect you or any issue that may interest you.

- When voting for any party or for any position, make sure you vote for what you believe and not what other people tell you to believe

- Sign petitions that help your cause