Since the passage of Senate Bill 49, North Carolina’s so-called “Don’t Say LGBTQ+” school censorship bill (also called the Parents’ Bill of Rights), our team at the Campaign for Southern Equality has been honored to work alongside our partners in NC to mitigate the harm of the law. We believe that this cruel attack on LGBTQ+ students, families, and educators is a violation of Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including gender identity or sexual orientation. That’s why the Campaign for Southern Equality is preparing a federal Title IX complaint to challenge this unjust law – and now, we need your help collecting evidence of discrimination.
We are seeking testimonials from students, parents, and family members about your experiences with your school and whether you’ve seen SB49 implemented. We are also seeking stories from teachers, counselors, social workers, nurses, librarians, administrators, and other school staff about how S.B.49 has affected your ability to do your job.
If you have seen S.B. 49 or other anti-LGBTQ+ activities implemented in your school, please consider sharing your story with us below.
Here are some ways that we could see S.B. 49 implemented:
- Surveillance and reporting of LGBTQ+ books that students check out of the library
- Staffers refusing to use the correct names and pronouns for transgender and non-binary students or faculty
- School faculty “outing” LGBTQ+ students to their parents or classmates
- Only allowing stories about straight and cisgender families to be read in class
- Teachers stripping mention of LGBTQ people or issues from the curriculum
- Any other policies or practices that contribute to a hostile educational environment for LGBTQ+ students, families, staff, or faculty.
- Teachers and staff required to take steps that violate their personal or professional ethics
Please share this with anyone you know who has been affected by S.B. 49 policies or other anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in schools. Things are moving quickly. Priority deadline for submitting stories is November 30.
CSE is also seeking stories from transgender students who’d like to participate in school sports but cannot because of HB574. Please share stories about trans students who have been banned from school athletics, trans and non-binary students who are avoiding school sports, or cisgender students or coaches who are refusing to participate in discrimination.
Thank you for your courage and persistence in the face of these challenges. We will join together to create safe, inclusive schools in North Carolina for LGBTQ+ youth, families, faculty, and staff.
