Oppose HR7661 - Stop the Sexualization of Children Act

I am writing to urge you to oppose the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act, HR7661, which would impose unprecedented federal content restrictions on educational institutions serving students under 18. This legislation specifically targets transgender individuals by prohibiting federal funding for any program containing materials involving gender dysphoria or transgenderism, threatening educational quality, constitutional protections, and student wellbeing. HR7661's explicit prohibition on content related to gender identity would erase transgender students from curricula entirely and eliminate access to medically accurate information about their own experiences. This targeted exclusion contributes to isolation and harm for vulnerable youth who already face disproportionate rates of bullying, depression, and suicide. The bill forces schools to choose between serving all students equitably and maintaining federal funding. The legislation incorporates criminal law definitions from 18 U.S.C. Section 2256(2), originally written for child exploitation prosecutions, to evaluate educational materials. This conflates educational appropriateness with criminal conduct and could expose educators to legal jeopardy for standard instruction. The viewpoint-based restrictions on content involving gender identity raise serious First Amendment concerns about government censorship of educational speech. HR7661 creates an arbitrary list of permissible materials by referencing specific publications from 1990 and 2019, excluding contemporary literature and diverse voices. Schools would face massive compliance costs reviewing curricula and library collections without federal guidance, as the bill designates no enforcement agency and establishes no compliance procedures. Educational institutions in your district need the flexibility to provide age-appropriate, medically accurate instruction that serves all students, including transgender youth. I ask you to oppose HR7661 and protect the ability of local educators to make curriculum decisions based on student needs rather than discriminatory federal content mandates.