NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A bill in the Tennessee legislature would prohibit the state from approving textbooks and instructional materials that contain LGBTQ+ content.
The bill, H.B. 0800, was introduced by Representative Bruce Griffey (R - District 75) and will be considered by the Education Instruction Subcommittee on March 30.
It says that public schools should focus on teaching subjects like reading, science and mathematics. It also says that LGBTQ+ content is inappropriate for the classroom and that it can offend a significant portion of school communities that have Christian values.
The bill goes on to suggest that LGBTQ+ issues should be treated with the same restrictions as religious teaching in public schools.
"LEAs (local education agencies) and public charter schools shall not locally adopt or use in the public schools of this state, textbooks and instructional materials or supplemental instructional materials that promote, normalize, support, or address lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, or transgender issues or lifestyle," the bill says.
If passed, it would go into effect July 1 and apply to the 2021 - 2022 school year.