COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio General Assembly is considering House Bill 8, also known as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” a proposal that focuses on sexual content, parental notification, and religious instruction in schools.
The bill passed the Ohio House in June of 2023 and is currently working its way through the Ohio Senate. Critics argue the bill unfairly targets LGBTQ+ youth.
Key provisions of House Bill 8
The bill outlines several significant measures:
- Ban on sexuality content: Prohibits teaching sexuality-related content to students in kindergarten through third grade.
- Parental notification and review: Requires schools to ensure any sexuality-related content is age-appropriate. Parents must be notified, allowed to review the material, and given the option to excuse their children from lessons.
- Health services transparency: Mandates schools to inform parents about changes to their child’s mental, emotional, or physical health services. This includes notifying parents if a child requests to be identified as a gender that does not align with their biological sex.
- Communication restrictions: Prohibits school personnel from encouraging students to withhold health or well-being-related information from their parents.
In a recent interview with our TEGNA sister station WBNS 10TV in Columbus, Dwayne Stewart, the executive director of Equality Ohio, expressed fears about the bill’s implications for LGBTQ+ youth.
“The teacher would have to inform a parent about a student’s sexuality or gender identity, which is forced outing, and it will be dangerous,” he said. “Very dangerous for LGBTQ youth.”…