LGBT students already have it rough enough in America’s public school systems. They are often routinely bullied and harassed because of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, suffer high rates of isolation, and even have to endure bigotry at the hands of educators who “disagree” with who they are. Now, as if this weren’t enough, the state of Tennessee has introduced a bill that would forbid the very mention of homosexuality in grades K-8, and, as if that weren’t enough, a proposed revision of the bill just got even worse according to Think Progress.



Now, as if the idea of anything but heterosexuality being mentioned in schools weren’t bad enough, the bill could go so far as to insist that no mental health counseling whatsoever take place under the care of school guidance counselors. This would mean that there could be no talk of eating disorders, divorce trauma, bullying, suicidal thinking, or any of the other plethora of problems kids might face. This part of the bill is the work of House Sponsor Representative John Ragan(R). The reasoning behind all this is, supposedly, according to WBIR:

School counselors in general are licensed, hired and paid to be counseling on academic and career education,” said state Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge. “We do not pay them nor license them to counsel on anything else.” […]

Teachers, counselors and principals instead would be asked to give students a referral for psychiatric care if they bring up mental health or lifestyle issues. School districts would also have to train educators on how to handle such questions.

Now, as an LGBT American who grew up in a southern high school and came out of the closet to some of the most horrific ridicule imaginable, I think I can safely say that this bill, with or without this new amendment, is not only unnecessary and discriminatory, but dangerous as well. We already have a rash of suicides that have swept the nation as a direct result of the treatment of LGBT kids in schools, and it shows no signs of slowing down, despite the massive efforts of activists and advocates. Now, we are having this problem helped along by people who should be on the sides of our youth. If anything, we need to encourage counselors and other school officials to discuss issues with students. Said discussion could prevent tragedies.

Further, this will tread into the waters of unintended consequences. In trying to hurt kids who happen to be LGBT, the people pushing this bill will hurt all students, LGBT and otherwise. Don’t think that there will be a suicidal kid who isn’t gay, or one with an eating disorder, or whose parents are going through a difficult divorce? Think again. If the people responsible for this proposal are successful in promoting this bigotry, the results will be disastrous. There will be kids who lose their lives due to having no one to talk to. There will be students who starve themselves because a counselor is unable to talk to them about possible disordered eating. There will be kids who are psychologically damaged after being used as pawns in nasty divorces. Guess what? Many of those kids will be gasp! Straight. So, in other words, Tennessee, in attempting to use legislation to hurt the LGBT community, you are hurting you own as well. Further, as educators, you should be trying to ensure the psychological and physical well being of every student in your school system. This is a case of dangerously bigoted people putting their own prejudices against a segment of society before innocent school children. This is absolutely shameful, and we can only hope that it goes no further. Goodness help the children of Tennessee, LGBT and otherwise, if this madness becomes law.