Tennessee bill would largely ban Pride flags in public school classrooms
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The Tennessee House passed a bill on Monday that would largely ban displaying LGBTQ flags in public school classrooms.
The 70-24 vote in the Republican-controlled House sends the legislation to the Senate, where a final vote could happen as early as this week.
Republicans cut a heated debate short, leading Democratic Rep. Justin Jones to yell that House Speaker Cameron Sexton was out of order and ignoring people's requests to speak. Republicans responded by voting Jones out of order, halting his immediate comments.
Earlier, at least two people opposing the bill were kicked out of the gallery for talking over the proceedings as Democrats and other opponents criticized the legislation as unfairly limiting a major symbol of the LGBTQ community in schools.
The Republican-controlled Tennessee House passed legislation on Monday that would largely ban the display of LGBTQ flags in public school classrooms.(AP)
"I am proud when I walk into the public schools in my city, to see the LGBTQ flag in the classrooms, proudly put up by teachers who understand the suffering that many of their students go through," Democrat Rep. Jason Powell said. "We should be welcoming and celebrating our students, not hating on them."
The bill defines "displaying" a flag by a school or employee as exhibiting or placing the item "anywhere students may see the object."
The measure would allow certain flags to be displayed, with exceptions for some scenarios. Approved flags include the U.S. flag, the Tennessee flag, flags considered protected historical items under state law, as well as flags of Native American tribes, local governments' armed forces and prisoners of war or those missing in action, other countries and their local governments, colleges or universities or the schools themselves.
Other flags could be temporarily displayed as part of a "bona fide" course curriculum. Certain groups allowed to use school buildings may also show their flags while using the grounds under the bill.
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, walks past protesters before a legislative session including a vote on a bill banning LGBTQ flags in public school classrooms.(AP)
The legislation would enforce the ban by relying on lawsuits by parents or guardians of students who attend, or are eligible to attend, public school in the district in question. The lawsuits could challenge the display of flags by a school, employee or its agents that would not fall under the proposed criteria for which flags would be allowed in classrooms.
Republican Rep. Gino Bulso, the bill's sponsor, said parents reached out to him with complaints about "political flags" in classrooms. When asked whether the bill would allow the Confederate flag to be displayed, he said the bill would not change the current law about when such a symbol could be shown. He said the bill's exceptions could be applied to Confederate flags for approved curriculum and certain historical items that already cannot be removed without extensive state approval.
"What we're doing is making sure parents are the ones who are allowed to instill in their children the values they want to instill," Bulso said.
The Senate's version of the bill would be more restrictive about who could file a lawsuit over a flag, limiting it to students, parents or guardians of students or employees at that specific school.
Tennessee Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, presents a bill on the House floor that would prevent Pride flags from being displayed in schools during a legislative session.(AP)
Earlier this month, the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to town, school and school district officials warning that under First Amendment court precedent, "public schools may prohibit private on-campus speech only insofar as it substantially interferes with or disrupts the educational environment, or interferes with the rights of other students."
Bulso said displaying the Pride flag does not constitute protected free speech for school employees.
The bill comes as Tennessee Republicans have already moved to restrict classroom conversations about gender and sexuality, ban gender transition treatment for minors and limit events where certain drag performers are allowed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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I thought this was the land of Gay?
Who will we pledge our allegiance to? / S
The stars and bars of course.
If LGBTQ pride flags are allowed that opens the door for other flags
All hail the Grand Poobah!
"I am proud when I walk into the public schools in my city, to see the LGBTQ flag in the classrooms, proudly put up by teachers who understand the suffering that many of their students go through," Democrat Rep. Jason Powell said. "We should be welcoming and celebrating our students, not hating on them."
What about Hamas, Satan, Palestinian and Taylor Swift Flags? Should they be allowed too so you can be happy when you walk through the school? How about if the Christian teachers fly a flag of Christ, is that OK with you?
What about them?
Many, if not most, wear symbols of their faith already and it's protected.
Should they be allowed too so you can be happy when you walk through the school?
Talking about flags in a classroom
I have no business walking through a school, so I really don't give a shit what they plaster all over their walls.
Talking about limiting freedom of expression.
Your there to "teach", not to express your freedom of speech. If you want to be an activist, run for congress.
Do students have freedom of expression?
In public school classrooms. Is this OK?
I don't even know what that is, but if you want to search for the worst images people might display to compare them to a pride flag it says more about you than anything else.
Nice try but complete fail.
Restrict as in first graders?
Good,, waiting until you are at least 18 gives you a chance to really determine if that is what you want
As in events with kids under 12,14,16?
This is going to run into problems because it strays in to viewpoint territory. Reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on speech are allowed. But restricting expression based on a viewpoint is almost always unconstitutional.
If it were just a matter of which flags the school could display, that would be fine. That is the government speaking. Telling teachers what they can display is something else. If you wanted to just make it really strict and allow no displays at all, you might get away with that. Even if you limited it to government symbols - state and national flags, for example, that would probably be ok because it’s a government institution.
But telling teachers they can display a POW flag, a tribe flag, or another nation, but not a pride flag, or a confederate flag seems like a restriction on political speech, based on viewpoint. That’s probably not going to be ok.
And then what about other media of expression? Can a teacher wear a t-shirt with a pride flag on it? How about a pin? A tattoo? Earrings?
Why do we have so many politicians who claim to love this country, the Constitution, and the principles we stand for - like free speech - trying to pass laws limiting expression?
Why don't teachers TEACH, rather than trying to introduce an agenda. I believe that is what the classroom is for or did I miss something.
Yeah remember when you got a C in Comportment?
What agenda? How to be a decent human being?
Does displaying a pride flag make you a decent human being?
What makes you think they aren’t? Somehow, you seem to think they can teach math and English with a US flag on their desk, but a rainbow just ends all instruction? Why would that be true?
People - including teachers - express themselves and their agenda all the time, in ways both subtle and obvious. If the teacher has a picture of her family on the desk is she promoting a traditional values agenda? Should we make her take it down? If she has a cross around her neck, should we forbid her to wear it?
It doesn't automatically make one NOT a decent human being.
Does displaying a cross make one a decent human being? How about shamrocks in March? Colorful eggs in April? Christmas trees in December? According to you these aren't necessary to TEACH - they are agenda driven images and thus should not be displayed?
It becomes a distraction, kids are curious, "they say what's that" and instead of math or english, we're talking about whatever the flag represents.
Short answer, YES. You are there to teach a subject, if you're introducing things that become a distraction remove them.
No, why would you make that comparison?
They are days that are recognized on a calendar, there is already a push back to remove Christmas trees. If they create a distraction remove them but, watch what you wish for.
Because the one is protected speech while the other is trying to be shut down. They have the same "agenda" driven effect do they not?
Why should March 17th matter in an American public school? It's not like the whole school is Irish.
For the same reason people want to remove pride flags - not everyone celebrates Christmas, or is queer. So either we allow these displays of expression or we do not. Picking and choosing which ones is biased and unfair.
You asked if it would make you a "decent human being", the answer is no. As for displaying one in a classroom that would be, NO, unless you were in a Christian School.
Hanging a cross or small crucifix in a public classroom or keep a small religious memento on their desk is protected free speech by law and court ruling precedent. Now many of the same people that fought for that freedom are working just as hard to remove that freedom of expression from others. I don't see a problem with either display.
For how long? A moment? Or every minute of every day, all year long?
Have you seen the inside of any classrooms? They are typically filled floor to ceiling with distractions. There are all sorts of things to look at. Heck, whatever is out the window can be a distraction. What evidence do you have that a rainbow flag is more of a distraction than anything else you might find in a classroom?
This claim of “distraction” sounds made up to me. Give us some evidence.
A Teachers job is to teach which includes the ability to hold the attention of their class.
Why do you feel it necessary to display a rainbow flag in a classroom? I feel the same about a Cross or your college flag, we need to get back to teaching and not trying to social engineer our youth.
Back to my original point - part of teaching IS social engineering our youth. It's ALWAYS been part of schooling. It's in what ways we do it is the debate not that it shouldn't be done.
Depends on what your definition of social engineering is. IMO they should be concentrating on discipline and respect and not about who or what they go home to at night or what they do on the weekends.
You want to take down motivation? You want to take down maps? What the actual…? Have you put any thought into this at all? Are you envisioning the North Korea school model?
Golly, how did we ever train leaders, doctors, lawyers, and astronauts with maps and inspiration on the wall?! It’s a miracle! /s
Because that’s life. These people exist. You don’t just go to school to learn math. You learn about life. Well, some of us did, anyway.
No it's not the definition of what social engineering is, but the society we are preparing our children for. The side that recognizes all walks of life is preparing students to recognize and accept that while people may look and act a bit different they still have commonalities and it's okay to be unique.
Except some leaders in states are teaching children its okay to bully those that don't conform to a certain standard. This isn't even contained to sexuality and gender identification. Historically is dress codes, hair and religion too. Things that don't have fuck all to do with anything but some rigid architype. That's pretty much the opposite of discipline and respect.
If we TEACH children that it's okay to have one mommy or two mommies, it's not going to end the country. It might make some old prejudiced fuckers uncomfortable, but American life will continue to be American life with much less stress and division. Loud populist progressive activists trying to convince the world that traditional conservatives who just want to go about their lives without confrontation are just as bad (and just as wrong) as loud right-wing populists who think the same about them. We CAN live in harmony if we decide to do so and mostly mind our own business.
Interesting. According to your idea almost all of my public school teachers, straight and queer, would have been in big trouble. Or are you just talking about queer teachers? Were you socially engineered to find queer people uncomfortable?
Look at the test scores for the public school system, are they on par with other countries or lagging behind..
Kinda hard if you don’t post them.
I’ll need you to supply that data, as well. We will also need information on what the insides of those classrooms look like.
Everyone seems to have forgotten the mantra "Live and Let Live".
This is not simply a directive to mind your own business, but rather an instructive missive to let each person exist as they see fit unless they are causing harm. (I know, I know. Define harm) It is relatable to the Pagan maxim "First, do no Harm" in that both call upon one to act not necessarily as one would have themselves do, but to consider the differences in perspective and experience that two disparate beings may have.
Please provide me the case.
It may be Stone vs Graham... it's been a long time and there are many cases for and against religion it would take some time to find them. It boils down to a personal display of religion is okay. Large displays or pyrolyzing for/against is not okay. So if that is okay for one teacher than a small pride flag or rainbow image in their "personal space" within the classroom must similarly be okay. If a straight teacher can display a family photo - a queer teacher should not be barred from displaying a family photo. I know of no teacher proselytizing the virtues of being queer and if they are they too deserve to be removed. If they are teaching a religious course or a sociology course these ideas may come up and teaching them are also fine. Just hearing there are queer people in the world will not make one queer. And being queer is neither a good nor a bad thing. Just as being religious is neither a bad or good thing. Just as being straight is neither a good nor bad thing. Just as being red haired or left handed is neither a good nor bad thing. Being biased might be.
agreed.
You should go to "Libs of Tik Tok" on "X" you may be surprised.
"Libs of Tik Tok" is a far rightwing hate group!
Because they show videos that are already on the internet?
Of liberal idiots being liberal idiots.
Probably upset that they have almost 3 million followers which is more than the number of people that watch almost any show on msnbc
They post videos of Liberals, how is that a far rightwing group?
I don't do Tik Tok and I deleted my account on X after Musk took over the platform.
It was the removal of the liberal censorship that got you wasn't it.
No, it was just the douchbag himself. I need no other reason than that not to support any of his businesses.
Considering the SCOUTUS just heard the case on social media censorship laws in Texas & Florida - I'm hoping they win those cases. Perhaps it would then be fun to go back and troll the X MAGA fans & nazis with gay Trump porn - just for giggles.
If you say so.
And the anti "everything that wasn't in my great gradpa's closet" team marches backwards