Deleted: Parental Rights Bills are Making Their Way Across the US

Are parents losing their right to make decisions for their children? It’s a question that’s been on the minds of many as the transgender movement targets kids. But there’s hope. Legislation is pending or has already passed in all states except for New York, Nevada, and Wyoming, that would protect a parent’s right to refuse the use of gender pronouns and other gender ideology. And one state where this issue is gaining particular attention is New Hampshire. Recently, more than 200 people gathered in support of the proposed parental rights legislation in the state.

Even NH Republican Dan Innis, who is gay, believes that the move to cut parents out of the decision-making process where children are concerned goes too far, even for many liberals. He emphasized that these bills are not intended to be anti-trans, but rather are pro-family and pro-child. They seek to place crucial life decisions and changes, where they belong, within the family between the parents and children.

But not everyone is on board. Teacher unions and several LGBTQ organizations are opposing the parental rights bills, warning that doing so would create dangerous situations for children by depriving those experiencing gender dysphoria of a trustworthy adult with whom to confide, while also removing their challenge. Deb Howes, president of the American Federation of Teachers, New Hampshire (AFT-NH), wrote a testimony opposing Senate Bill SB 272. She argued that for the students’ well-being, and sometimes their very survival, they should be able to turn to their educators or school staff for support, particularly if they lack it at home.

Despite the opposition, the NH bill is among over 460 legislative measures that the American Civil Liberties Union calls “anti-LGBTQ” and currently pending in the US. This includes 220 public school-specific measures spread across 47 states, including the typically liberal California.

But what do these bills actually entail? The vast majority of them are parental rights bills designed to protect the right of parents to access all school curriculum, including sex education and gender-related subjects and activities. Additionally, parents are entitled to inquire or be informed about any clubs their children join, as well as any use of gender pronouns or another name that differs from the name given to the child by the parents.

It’s worth noting that three states—New York, Wyoming, and Nevada—are without any pending parental rights or gender-based legislation. The most recent proposed Nevada parental rights bill, which sought notification obligations for gender ideology, has been defeated. Wyoming’s ultra-conservative Republican lawmakers have introduced a number of bills, but Speaker of the House Albert Sommers refused to consider them, which has shocked fellow Republicans. Sommers was accused by his fellow GOPers of selling out to teachers unions. Sommers claimed that he blocked the bills because they infringed on the authority of local school boards. Illinois is the fourth state listed on the ACLU map.