A number of Republican lawmakers and advocates on Wednesday came out in favor of legislative proposals that would require schools to notify parents when their children want to be referred to by a new set of pronouns and that would require student athletes to compete in sports based on their assigned gender at birth.
Members of the Let Kids Be Kids coalition, an organization formed to “encourage legislators to protect children,” according to its website, argued that these bills were necessary to protect the rights of children.
The first bill would force schools to disclose to parents if their child were being addressed with different pronouns than what they were given at birth.
“Kids are best protected when parents are involved,” said Peter Wolfgang, the president of the Family Institute of Connecticut, a group that has also advocated for restrictions on abortion in Connecticut. “The state should not come between parents and their children.”
The coalition of elected officials, religious leaders and parents who support the bill argue that schools should not have the option to hide information pertaining to their child’s gender identity, and they claimed that under the current guidelines from the Department of Education, schools are encouraged to hide the status of children’s identities.
These bills are similar to the efforts of Republican legislators across the country to pass legislation regarding transgender youth. In 2023, Republicans across the country introduced more than 500 bills regarding LGBTQ youths, with 48 passing.
There are at least six states with legislation requiring schools to disclose if their child goes by a different identity than what they were assigned at birth. At the start of the 2023 legislative season, more than 150 bills in 25 states had been proposed regarding transgender youth.
“This is merely a parental notification bill. That’s all we’re asking for at this point,” Rep. Anne Dauphinais, R-Killingly, said. “All kinds of things are going on with your children, and parents have no idea.”
Current guidelines say that “there is no law that specifically requires districts or schools to inform parents or guardians of a student’s gender identity or expression.” The guidelines also emphasize the importance of open communication between parents and school districts.
Opponents of the bill argue that it would increase the presence of the government in raising children and raised concerns about the potential harm that could come with forcing school districts to disclose gender identity to parents.
“As a parent, and like any parent, I want my child to share things with me, and to know what’s happening in their life. And I want to know that, even when they may not be ready to share with me, that they have the support they need at school,” Melissa Combs, founder of the Out Accountability Project, said in a statement.
“Outing students without their consent forces schools to intrude on family relationships like mine, taking away opportunities for important family conversations. Who invites the government to their dinner table? No one,” Combs added. Outing is when someone’s sexual identity is shared without their consent.
The second bill, titled “Save Women’s Sports,” would make athletes participate in sports teams for the gender they were assigned at birth. Twenty-five states have laws banning transgender athletes from participating in high school sports consistent with their gender identity.
“It’s about protecting women and girls.” Rep. Mark Anderson, R-Granby, said. “If you’re for women’s rights, then you must be for protecting women’s sports”
Combs disagreed.
“If Connecticut truly wants to support girls’ sports, they would be providing more funding, creating more opportunities to play, and enacting stronger laws that protect female athletes from harassment and abuse — not banning transgender youth from participating in school sports with their peers.”
Each proposed bill has five cosponsors, all House Republicans: Anderson, Rep. Joe Hoxha of Bristol, Rep. Brian Lanoue of Griswold, Rep. Donna Veach of Southington and Dauphinais. The bills will be referred to the education committee, but they are unlikely to gain traction in the legislature, which is dominated by Democrats.
“I have not examined them in detail, but we are not looking to enact anything in Connecticut which is part of a right wing agenda nationally,” said Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney, D-New Haven, when asked about the two bills.