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Arizona students walk out of school in coordinated protests against latest Republican hate [1]
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Date: 2022-10-04
Hamilton High School senior Blues Patrick told the Arizona Mirror that it’s “embarrassing” to live in a place where people are at “risk” for being themselves and “loving who they want.” And you know what? They’re absolutely right.
Patrick, along with hundreds of peers, participated in the coordinated walkout protest last Thursday. One law that went into effect over the weekend includes a ban on “sexually explicit” material in public school classrooms from kindergarten through the 12th grade. But like book ban efforts to ban “obscene” or “inappropriate” material, this is basically a ban on LGBTQ+ writers and characters. Don’t believe me? This measure initially included “homosexuality” as part of “explicit” material, although that language was eventually struck from the bill.
Two other major bills signed into law include one that bars trans youth from participating in sports teams that align with their gender identity and one that bans access to safe, age-appropriate, gender-affirming health care.
“These bills are killing us,” said Dawn Shim, who worked to organize the protest at their high school, per the Phoenix New Times. Shim added that students aren’t missing school because they “want” to but rather because they’ve been “forced” to.
Another law that’s legitimately dangerous for trans youth requires schools to report confidential student records—including from counseling services, for example—to parents and guardians. This could result in young people being “outed” against their will and potentially put in unsafe living situations, or even forced to become homeless.
“School should be a safe place,” said 14-year-old student Ace Yates, according to LBGTQ Nation, adding that teachers can be a safe space for students with homophobic parents to talk to, and this law “shatters” that element of trust.
Students have been protesting anti-LGBTQ+ bills, laws, and policies all over the country. It’s inspiring but it’s also deeply sad. Young people shouldn’t have to lose out on their education in order to fight for their basic rights. They shouldn’t need to lose sleep worrying about whether or not their school will potentially put them in danger because they dared to be honest about who they are or what they believe in while at school. They shouldn’t need to fear no longer being able to play a sport or use the bathroom they’re comfortable in because of their gender identity. It’s not fair. It’s humiliating, exhausting, and frankly, discriminatory.
So many of these brave young people are too young to vote and that’s another reminder that we all need to step up when we can, and that includes in local and state elections.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/10/4/2126953/-Arizona-students-walk-out-of-school-in-coordinated-protests-against-latest-Republican-hate
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