In a vote of 70-24, the Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill banning “ideological” flags, such as the Pride flag, from being displayed in public and charter schools.
The bill prohibits the display of flags representing a “political viewpoint, including but not limited to, a partisan, racial, sexual orientation, gender, or other ideological viewpoint.”
Specifically, the bill prohibits “LEAs and public charter schools from displaying in public schools flags other than the official United States flag and the official Tennessee state flag.”
In January, Republican State Rep. Gino Bulso, the bill’s sponsor, said he had “complaints from Williamson County parents and a Williamson County School Board member, in particular, about pride flags in some of our schools in Williamson County.”
“The whole idea is that a school is a place where a child goes to learn, not a place where a child goes to be indoctrinated. So you’re focusing on just one purpose of the bill having to do with political statements regarding transgender ideology and other similar issues,” he explained, adding, “Certainly, you know, 50 years ago we had a consensus on what marriage is; we don’t have that anymore. One hundred years ago, we had a consensus on sexual morality; I don’t think we have that anymore. So the values that I think most parents want their children exposed to are the ones that were in existence at the time that our country was founded.”
According to The Associated Press, Bulso said, “What we’re doing is making sure parents are the ones who are allowed to instill in their children the values they want to instill.”
State Rep. Jason Powell (D) voiced his opposition to the bill.
“I am proud when I walk into the public schools in my city, to see the LGBTQ flag in the classrooms, proudly put up by teachers who understand the suffering that many of their students go through,” he declared. “We should be welcoming and celebrating our students, not hating on them.”
