Expanded so-called 'Don't Say Gay' education restrictions advance in Alabama

A bill aimed at furthering restrictions on discussions of "gender identity or sexual orientation" in public schools is progressing in the Alabama legislature, passing the state House on Tuesday.Current law states that classrooms in kindergarten through the fifth grade "shall not engage in classroom discussion or provide classroom instruction regarding sexual orientation or gender identity in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."The bill would expand this restriction to eighth grade and prohibit flags symbolizing sexual orientations or gender identities in K-12 schools.In this undated stock photo, a student raises her hand in class.STOCK PHOTO/Getty ImagesGender identity, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is "an individual’s sense of their self as man, woman, transgender, or something else."Sexual orientation refers to "a person’s sexual and emotional attraction to another person and the behavior and/or social affiliation that may result from this attraction," according to the CDC.State Rep.Mack Butler, the bill’s sponsor, said in a March hearing the bill is a response to "some indoctrination going on." He said the bill seeks to "purify the schools."MORE: So-called 'Don't Say Gay' rules expanded through 12th grade in FloridaA person holds up a sign reading, "Trans People Belong in Alabama," during a rally outside the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Ala., on International Transgender Day of Visibility, March 31, 2023.Kim Chandler/AP, FILE"It is a component of Marxism where we're -- you know -- destroying the family and teaching some of these things," said Butler.

"Let it happen somewhere else other than our schools."Related StoriesMan kills wife, 3 kids in mass shooting: PoliceApr 23, 12:35 PMSecret Service prepares for Trump in contemptApr 23, 4:16 PMOJ Simpson dies at 76Apr 11, 6:32 PMCritics argue that these restrictions, dubbed "Don’t Say Gay," co...