Two Texas bills aim to stop gender indoctrination in public schools

Two bills in the Texas legislature would prohibit lessons on gender identity in public schools.

House Bills 631 and 1155 – put forward by Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, and Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco – would ban instruction on gender identity in grades K-8, the Texas Tribune reports. The bills would also prohibit school districts in Texas from keeping healthcare information from parents.

The bills come after Texas Republicans promised to follow Florida’s lead in restricting sexually explicit instruction for kids in public schools.

While Florida’s law, passed last year, bans gender identity instruction until 3rd grade, HB 631 extends to 5th grade and HB 1155 to 8th grade.

Texas Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick attacked the Disney Corporation last year for opposing the Florida law.

“At first, I was angry at their over-the-top radical resistance to a Florida law that simply says schools cannot sexualize children in elementary school,” said Patrick. “I will make this law a top priority in the next session.”

“Parental rights are paramount to the safety and well-being of a child,” Patterson said, according to ABCNews 15 Houston. “Therefore, I filed HB 1155 to ensure no school teaches radical gender ideology to any child from K-8th grade, and where parents must review and sign off on any health-related services.” 

LGBTQ special interest groups such as the Trevor Project have lobbied for public schools to increase LGBTQ counseling, expand gay pride meetings and other activities under the guise of mental health treatment that critics have called sexual indoctrination.  

“The sexualization of our children must stop,” Patterson tweeted. “Parents and taxpayers have spoken loudly over the past year-plus. The message is no more radical ideology in the classroom – particularly when it comes to inappropriate or obscene content.”