Republicans in this state once again ensure it's legal to fire LGBT teachers because of who they are

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States like Florida and Texas are (rightfully) earning a deep amount of outrage over anti-queer and anti-trans legislation—some signed into law by Republican governors, some simply proposed, and some actually not law but based on legal analysis—a growing number of states are, and have been, pushing discriminatory and hateful legislation. One such state is Missouri, where efforts to demonize and discriminate against LGBTQ+ youth and adults are well underway and aren’t showing any signs of slowing down.

As of Tuesday, we’ve seen two separate efforts to legally exclude and disparage LGBTQ+ folks thrive with state lawmakers. These legislations include HB 1973, which bars trans youth from participating in public school sports teams that align with their gender identity, and an attempt to pass a version of the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act, which would ban discrimination in hiring and firing against LGBTQ+ public school teachers, as reported by the Springfield News-Leader.

RELATED STORY: Watch openly gay Democrat tell anti-trans Republican colleague exactly what he needs to hear

Some background on trans sports in Missouri: Right now, only two openly trans girls participated on girls’ sports teams in the entire state in the last decade, per local outlet KTLO. Yes, two. The current rules from the Missouri State High School Activities Association mandate that trans girls show consistent documentation of hormone therapy. Trans boys are allowed to participate on the boys’ teams. These rules apply for kindergarten through 12th grade in public schools. 

Republican Rep. Ron Copeland sponsored the latest amendment to this bill and said he personally doesn’t care if trans boys participate on boys’ sports teams, but his amendment actually bans that, too. His argument is the same transphobia that we’ve seen from countless Republicans in these discussions: He argues it’s about protecting fairness in girls’ sports and goes out of his way to misgender trans girls as boys. 

You might remember that openly gay Democratic Rep. Ian Mackey recently sizzled a Republican colleague, Rep. Chuck Basye, over Republicans’ stance on trans rights and LGBTQ+ allyship in general. On Monday, Mackey reminded conservatives that how they vote on trans issues will be on their records forever.

“Your vote on the record will last forever,” Mackey warned colleagues. “And I can guarantee you that while not all of you will regret it, I know that some of you looking at me right now, will. Do the right thing.”

Ultimately, the House voted 93-41 to mandate that students must participate in the sports team that aligns with the sex listed on their birth certificate.

In terms of giving LGBTQ+ teachers a shred of dignity in the state, that didn’t fly, either. Republican Rep. Shamed Dogan proposed an amendment that would prevent public schools in the state from hiring or firing a person because of their gender identity or sexual orientation, saying, “We shouldn’t be firing people because they’re gay in 2022.” They also pointed out that the state needs talented teachers regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. I am reluctant to give a Republican any credit in general, but they are correct here. 

Unfortunately, the amendment was voted down 60-77. Why? Among other hateful arguments, Republican Rep. Ben Baker argued it would essentially allow pedophiles to teach.

The amendment would have “prohibited firing someone for being a pedophile,” he claimed. Latent here is the same messaging we’re hearing from conservatives all over the country when it comes to Don’t Say Gay bills and book bans: the idea that LGBTQ+ adults (and especially teachers, counselors, and coaches) are just waiting to “groom” or “turn” young people LGBTQ+.

It’s also the idea that being LGBTQ+ is essentially sexual and inappropriate for young people to be exposed to in any way, including reading about it or learning about the identity in the classroom. We can actually see another example of this happening, also in Missouri, when it comes to “safe space” stickers.

Depending on your generation, these stickers might be very familiar to you. These stickers usually appear with a rainbow background or in a rainbow font and are hung on the doors of classrooms or offices to signal that the adult is a “safe” person for youth to come to for support or questions concerning LGBTQ+ issues or identity. It doesn’t necessarily signal the adult is actually LGBTQ+ (though they could be), but more that they’re not hateful. Basically, a minimum level of allyship.

According to local outlet KCTV 5, the Grain Valley School Board recently told administrators to get rid of these stickers and cards in high schools in the district, with the logic being that all classrooms should be a safe space, not just those with the sign or sticker hanging up. Now, on the one hand, that makes sense—students should be able to talk to trusted adults in their lives and be met with support and acceptance.

But the sad reality is that no matter where you live or where you attend school, not all adults are going to be allies or advocates for LGBTQ+ people. Not all adults will be educated on the subject and not all will have the skills (or choose to use the schools) that students deserve. Is this right? No. Do students deserve better? Yes. But students also deserve the chance to at least try and choose the best person who is actually willing and open to hearing them out rather than come out to someone who is actually hateful.