Following the lead of other Republican-led states, North Carolina lawmakers proposed a bill Tuesday that would ban teachers from talking about gender or sexuality in early elementary school grades, and could force school employees to out LGBTQ students to their parents.
Critics in other states have called similar bills “Don’t say gay” rules and accused their backers of homophobic intentions, but Republicans have defended the changes as being pro-parent, and not anti-gay.
“It has no place in the K-3 curriculum,” said Sen. Deanna Ballard of Watauga County, the bill’s lead sponsor.
