Mark Takano: “In committee, my Republican colleagues have preached about parents' God-given rights. I will tell you now that children…”

“In committee, my Republican colleagues have preached about parents' God-given rights. I will tell you now that children have a God-given right not to be physically or emotionally harmed. As a teacher, I know of instances where children were outed by staff, and as a consequence those children faced severe punishment at home. One student was viciously beaten by his father and transferred out of a district after his family was informed that he was caught being physically affectionate with another boy. Imagine the situation in which educators are placed when government requires them to out their student to an unsupportive family. I will tell you what happens to those kids: 73 percent of LGBTQ youth report anxiety. 58 percent of them report depression. 40 percent of homeless youth are LGBTQ, and 46 percent, nearly half of them, have seriously considered suicide. Good teachers care about their kids. Good teachers know that a relationship with parents is important. But when a home is not safe for LGBTQ kids, school becomes their safe place, and teachers need to be their cheerleaders, not their first bullies. This bill forces good teachers to do bad things. It alienates students from their parents. It outs kids. It forces kids back into the closet. It is a fundamental invasion of privacy that puts children in danger. In the first 3 months that this Congress has been in session, this is what Republicans have chosen to spend our time and taxpayer dollars on.…”