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Texas A&M University campus Queer Empowerment Council's Day of Drag protest, College Station, Texas, March 2025.
A bill approved by the Texas legislature includes an LGBTQ+ student club ban, a forced outing policy, and a DEI ban.
The Texas legislature has passed a "Don't Say Gay" bill that not only bans discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms, but goes even further by completely outlawing LGBTQ+ student clubs.
Senate Bill 12, introduced by Republican state senator Brandon Creighton, flatly states that "a school district or open-enrollment charter school may not authorize or sponsor a student club based on sexual orientation or gender identity." The law bans all diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, which it incorrectly defines as "differential treatment" based on race.
The bill also contains a forced outing policy "prohibiting an employee of the district from assisting a student enrolled in the district with social transitioning," which it defines as "a person’s transition from the person’s biological sex at birth to the opposite biological sex through the adoption of a different name, different pronouns, or other expressions of gender that deny or encourage a denial of the person’s biological sex at birth."
The law is similar to Florida's colloquially named "Don't Say Gay" bill which prohibits public school staff from discussing LGBTQ+ identities in any capacity. Texas' S.B. 12 states that "a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or district or charter school employee may not provide or allow a third party to provide instruction, guidance, activities, or programming regarding sexual orientation or gender identity to students enrolled in prekindergarten through 12th grade."
LGBTQ+ minors who experience forced outing are more likely to develop depression, as well as face less support from their families, according to a study from the University of Connecticut. Ash Hall, policy and advocacy strategist for LGBTQIA+ rights at the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement that the law not only violates students' freedom of speech, but it puts them "at risk of abuse or homelessness."
“Let’s be clear: Senate Bill 12 is not about protecting students — it’s about enforcing a narrow vision of who belongs in our state," they said. "This bill not only violates students’ constitutional rights, it also aims to censor the truth, whitewash history, and punish educators for fostering a welcoming environment where every student can thrive. ... Our students and educators deserve so much better.”
