A Louisiana House Education committee hearing devolved into chaos after members voted to make it illegal for schools to hide gender transitions from parents.
HB81, which would prevent teachers from using a different name or pronoun for a student unless given written permission from parents, was voted out of the committee April 26 after hours of testimony from members of the LGBTQ community opposing the measure. As the announcement came that the bill would move to the House floor for consideration, screaming, grunting and an audible, screeched “fuck” could be heard before the feed to the committee hearing cut out.
The Louisiana House Education Committee just moved a bill out of committee to make it illegal for teachers to hide a child’s gender transition from parents.
Here was the reaction from lgbt people who testified against the bill when the vote passed. pic.twitter.com/uSY1IdBpcn
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) April 26, 2023
The bill was opposed by members of the LGBTQ community, one of whom was removed after calling the committee ignorant when Chairman Lance Harris claimed he could not read the individual’s first name, according to BRProud. “You know nothing of my name. You will remove me from this room because you choose ignorance and you choose not to call me by my name,” the individual declared before security came to remove her from the room. Citing health issues, the individual demanded the security officials “physically remove [their] arms” from her before walking out of the hearing on her own accord.
Another measure, dubbed HB466, also passed into consideration on the House floor. That bill, slammed by opponents as a “Don’t Say Gay Bill” would prevent the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in K-12 classes. The bill would also prohibit teachers from talking about their own sexuality with students, nola.com reported. (RELATED: Gov. DeSantis Signs ‘Parental Rights’ Bill Into Law)
Both bills passed along party lines with a 7-5 vote and will be advanced to the House floor for consideration, the outlet noted.
The committee heard other testimonies from individuals opposed to the measure, including one blue-faced drag queen self-styled as “big gay baby.”
“I am big gay baby,” he said.
“I believe we are all here for the same reason,” the transgender “drag artist” stated. “Which is to make schools a safe place for students and faculty to thrive.” Big gay baby, also known as Maxwell, continued by urging the committee to vote no on the HB466 measure for “the wounded child that still feels closeted inside me.”
The committee also moved another bill to the floor that bans classroom discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation from K-12th graders.
One of the people who testified against it was a drag queen with a blue face who called himself “big gay baby.” pic.twitter.com/8mY87xQ7LJ
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) April 26, 2023
Another testimony was offered up by “Mrs. T” who claimed she had been approached by 4th grade students asking whether she identified as a boy or a girl. “Should I really have shut that conversation down?” the teacher asked the committee. Mrs. T further claimed that after that conversation, five of the students in the class “came out.”
“Those are not my kids,” the teacher stated, “those are your kids and they knew that they could come to me for that acceptance and that love.