Missouri Teachers Supporting Trans Students Are NOT Sex Offenders!

I urge you to strongly oppose HB2885 (Gragg), SB1024 (Brattin), SB728 (Koenig), SB868 (Moon), HB1523 (Hudson), HB1405 (Billington), and SB1256 (Carter), which are currently being discussed in the Missouri legislature. HB2885 would force teachers to register as sex offenders if they use the names and pronouns of transgender children or otherwise support them and their identity. The bill would make it a Class E felony for teachers or school counselors to aid the “social transition” of a child, meaning that a teacher "provides support, regardless of whether the support is material, information, or other resources to a child regarding social transition." Teachers found guilty of “supporting social transition” would be placed in on the sex offender registry and since no Missouri sex offender is permitted to be within 500 feet of a school or daycare, the bill would effectively end the teacher’s career. SB1024, which is Missouri's version of the "Don't Say Gay Bill", would prohibit school staff from talking to students about sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. This bill would negatively impact both educators and students; for example, under this bill, an educator might be prohibited from mentioning their same-gender spouse for fear that they would face repercussions for doing so. SB728, SB868, HB1523, HB1405, and SB1256 force teachers to misgender students or forcibly "out" them to their parents. Any bill that requires school officials to "out" students who disclose private information regarding their sexuality or gender identity inherently places children in danger and increases risk of abuse, depression, and even death. We know that, unfortunately, not every household is safe to be out. Additionally these bills force teachers, even those with good intentions, to dead name and misgender students who do not have proper paperwork on file, an inherently harmful practice. LGBTQIA+ students in Missouri are facing an onslaught of bills attempting to dismantle their rights. These bills are meant to silence LGBTQIA+ students and remove spaces for them to be their authentic selves. LGBTQIA+ students in Missouri are experiencing increasingly hostile school environments. These ‘Don’t Say Gay’ and "forced outing" bills have a catastrophic effect on queer youth and silence supportive educators who are often a lifeline for them. I will fight for positive representation and visibility of LGBTQIA+ communities in all schools across the State, and I stand in solidarity with LGBTQIA+ youth in Missouri. I urge you to do the same by opposing all these bills.