In response to a Texas gender identity law that didn't pass, several school districts have crafted their own policies aimed at limiting discussions on gender identity and sexual orientation. A significant amount of legislative effort was devoted to Senate Bill 1072, which proposed restrictions on such dialogues from prekindergarten to 12th grade in public and charter schools as reported by KXAN.
Introduced by State Sen. Bryan Hughes, the bill failed to pass the House but was supported by the Senate Committee on Education. Following this, north and south Texas school districts adopted similar policies in accordance with the bill, with the Katy Independent School District (ISD) pioneering change in the school district. The district's Board of Trustees passed its gender identity policy in a 4-3 vote on August 28 earlier this year.
The newly enacted policy mandates employees to notify parents if a student expresses a desire to be recognized as transgender, change their name, or use different pronouns at school; furthermore, students have to use bathrooms that match their sex assigned at birth. The decision was made after hours of testimony and hearing perspectives from students, teachers, and community members, who demonstrated a mix of support and concern about its implications for LGBTQ+ students.
Carroll and Keller ISDs, in addition to Katy ISD, have also brought forth similar policies. They require students to use bathrooms that align with their sex assigned at birth, and they're not obligated to use gender-identifying pronouns for transgender students as reported in KXAN news.
The Texas Supreme Court has, in variance with this development, authorized a new state law prohibiting gender-affirming care for transgender minors. This law, which has ignited widespread controversy, establishes Texas as the most populous state to have such restrictions according to AP News. Advocacy groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union have responded to the law with mixed reactions, labeling it as "cruel".
This law outright bans transgender minors from obtaining hormone therapies, puberty blockers, and transition surgeries, elevating it to one of the more stringent bills among over 20 states with analogous laws. It requires children already on the banned medications to be weaned off "in a medically appropriate manner" according to AP News.
