CNP Condemns Proposed ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill By Georgia Lawmakers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Darian Aaron
Communications Director, CNP
Editor-At-Large, The Reckoning
darian.aaron@counternarrative.org

With the passage of the Parental Rights in Education bill in Florida, most commonly referred to by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Republican state senators in Georgia are proposing Senate Bill 613, a similar bill to the Florida legislation that now awaits Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature to become law. The proposed Georgia bill restricts teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity with students in private schools. 

With the social and political progress over the last decade in Georgia, the Republican proposed “Don’t Say Gay Bill” is not only a setback politically for our state, but it targets the most vulnerable among us—LGBTQ+ youth,” says Darian Aaron, Communications Director of CNP. “This bill is yet another attempt to silence and erase the diversity within Georgia’s school system while undermining the efforts of teachers who often act as vital buffers for LGBTQ+ youth who are constantly navigating the threat of homophobia and homelessness.” 

Charles Stephens, Executive Director of CNP, articulates the consequences for LGBTQ+ students in Georgia if the bill becomes law. 

“As a high school student in Georgia, I once had a teacher, in his own way, express his support for the LGBTQ+ community. I'd never before heard an adult say anything remotely supportive of LGBTQ+ people. Unbeknownst to my teacher, he saved my life during a critical moment when I was still struggling with my identity. If SB 613 becomes state law, the experience I had with my teacher stands as a violation of the provisions in the bill, and schools affected by the legislation would face liabilities. It is troublesome that the humanity of LGBTQ+ students in Georgia, and by proxy, the humanity of LGBTQ+ adults, remains a target for erasure through legislation,” Stephens says. 

The opponents of SB 613 understand that it is Georgia’s diversity that has allowed us to escape a past mired in hatred to become a beacon of hope and progress for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. This bill is a relic of the past. And in Georgia, we are moving forward. 

Media requests across all platforms for CNP on Senate Bill 613 should be directed to the communications director.

ABOUT CNP

The Counter Narrative Project (CNP), shifts narratives about Black gay men to change policy and improve lives. Our organization is committed to working in coalition and solidarity with all racial and social justice movements. We stand in the tradition of organizers, writers, and visionaries such as Bayard Rustin and James Baldwin. Our key initiatives include: (1) The CNP Narrative Justice Fellowship. (2) The CNP Leadership Lab. And (3), the CNP Summit.