1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose the anti-LGBTQ bills currently being discussed and debated in the Texas Senate. These bills harm children and adults who identify as LGBTQ+ in our state and advance a socially regressive and harmful agenda.  For example, SB 12 prohibits instruction or programming related to sexual orientation or gender identity in Texas public schools and prohibits school employees from implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in Texas public schools. This will have a chilling effect on many schools’ and teachers’ efforts to promote inclusion and tolerance towards students who don’t conform to the dominant heternormative norm. Enacting this bill would also harm members of other groups who have historically faced discrimination such as racial and religious minorities.  Senate Bill 37 takes this a step further by significantly restricting what Texas public universities can teach about subjects such as race, inequality, and their roles in American history. This bill is part of a larger national agenda to erase the histories and perspectives of racial, religious, gender, and sexual minorities from our nation’s educational curricula.  As a PhD in History and a former professional historian, I’m particularly concerned by the language in the bill requiring that courses taught at these institutions “do not endorse specific public policies, ideologies, or legislation.” This phrasing can and will be used to suppress instructors’ opinions that diverge from the conservative, white-dominated, Christian nationalist perspective that the bill’s authors and supporters are trying to enforce.  Senator, I urge you to reject these and other bills that violate LGBTQ+ Texans’ rights. All Texans deserve the right to flourish and embrace their unique identities and live free from discrimination, especially in the state’s educational institutions. Thank you for reading this letter.