Knoxville Senator Stacey Campfield is at it again. His “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which bans talk of homosexuality in schools for kids in kindergarten through the eighth grade, died with the adjournment of the Tennessee General Assembly last year. But now he’s reintroduced the bill, and this time, it’s getting personal.
The new “Don’t Say Gay” bill, SB 234, would require that teachers or counselors tell parents of LGBT students that their child may be gay.
Or as the bill’s wording states:
A school counselor, nurse, principal or assistant principal from counseling a student who is engaging in, or who may be at risk of engaging in, behavior injurious to the physical or mental health and well-being of the student or another person; provided, that wherever possible such counseling shall be done in consultation with the student’s parents or legal guardians. Parents or legal guardians of students who receive such counseling shall be notified as soon as practicable that such counseling has occurred.
A blog post on ThinkProgress. org points out that LGBT kids often face family rejection upon coming out to their parents and that 40 percent of homeless kids are gay. Those homeless youth have either been kicked out of the home or have chosen to leave a hostile environment.
“LGBT youth who experience family rejection are at high risk for depression and suicide,” the blog post states.
For a more in-depth analysis of Campfield’s latest “Don’t Say Gay” bill, read Jackson Baker’s latest Political Beat post.