"Don't Say Gay" Bill Advances In TN

Tennessee's infamous "Don't Say Gay" bill advanced yesterday after a hearing before a state House committee.

The House Education subcommittee approved the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill on a voice vote Wednesday, renewing a debate that roiled the legislature last spring over whether elementary and middle schools should be allowed to initiate discussions about homosexuality. The panel accepted the version of the bill that passed the state Senate late in last year's session. The vote kept the bill on a path to be voted on by the full House before the legislature adjourns in the spring. Opponents say it will not curb talk about homosexuality among grade school kids but will send the signal that it should be stigmatized. But several lawmakers argued that it would protect parents' right to educate their children about their beliefs on their own terms.