LGBTQ rights have re-entered the conversation in the Texas Panhandle.
A Republican lawmaker has introduced a bill that would require public school teachers to inform a student’s parents when they learn of a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity, even if that student wants the information to be kept a secret.
Critics have decried the legislation, claiming it is tantamount to “outing” a student. These critics note that many students in deeply Conservative areas like the Texas Panhandle could face neglect or violence at home if their parents learn that they are gay or identify with a different sex that the one their parents want them to claim.
Eric Yarbrough, a psychiatrist at New York’s Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, said the law "sounds very dangerous." He noted that these kids could face “Both emotional and physical abuse. Family support is one of the major factors that contributes to LGBT kids developing safely. . . . They can develop serious mental health issues including depression and suicidal thoughts. It can be life or death,” he added.
If the law passes, teachers could be suspended without pay or even terminated if they refuse to tell parents what they know. Sandra Dunn, an LGBTQ advocate in Amarillo,told The Daily Beastcalled the specter of the law “horrendous.”