In the US state of Idaho, legislation has been introduced in which LGBTQ youth are forced to come out. Schools are allowed to inform parents if they find out that a student is gay, for example. Human Rights Campaign is sounding the alarm and is now condemning this legislation.
H 163 is the name of a new anti-gay law in Idaho that ensures that LGBTQ students are no longer safe in school. For example, if a teacher finds out that a student is LGBTQ, they must inform the parents. The new legislation is part of the Parental Rights Bill.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has strongly condemned the new legislation. According to the human rights organization, the law could further marginalize LGBTQ youth and put them at risk.
Sarah Warbelow, legal director at HRC, called the law “disturbing” and commented: “The timing of coming out to your family and loved ones is a very personal decision. LGBTQ people deserve the dignity to make that decision on their own terms. It is disturbing that Idaho has taken another step to force schools to out their LGBTQ students to parents, who may not support them.”
more than 410 anti-LGBTQ laws
The Idaho Senate also passed an anti-trans bill called S 1016, which allows employers to refuse transgender individuals to use the restroom consistent with their gender identity.
Finally, HRC reports that more than 410 anti-LGBTQ laws have been introduced across the US in 2023 alone. About 180 of them place restrictions on transgender people. Tennessee recently became the first state to ban public drag shows.
