The Kentucky Senate passed Senate Bill 150, a controversial LGBTQ+ bill that governs how the state’s schools will deal with gay, lesbian, and transgender students and sex education.
The most controversial portion of the bill does not require teachers to honor the pronouns that a student would prefer to be known by. The bill prohibits the Kentucky Board of Education and the Department of Education from requiring that teachers honor students' requests.
The bill also requires parental notification of issues like family planning, contraceptives, and human sexuality.
Opponents say the bill will allow and even legalize bullying by adults who choose to ignore students’ feelings about their gender. Those who argued against the bill expressed they were concerned that this type of permission will simply make the already high suicide rates among teens even higher. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults in Kentucky, according to the Department of Education.
The bill passed the Senate 29-6. It will go to the full House, where it’s expected to pass. There is no word on whether Governor Beshear will sign the bill if it passes.
Billy Mosley, Lead Reporter for The Kentucky Daily