H.R. 2616, first introduced in January, 2025 and recently revived, is a dangerous attempt to erase transgender and nonbinary young people from our schools and communities. The bill would prohibit federally funded schools from teaching what it calls "gender ideology" and could force educators to disclose a student's transgender identity to parents, even when doing so may place that student at risk. In essence, this legislation is a "Don't Say Trans" bill that censors educators, silences students, and targets some of the most vulnerable young people in our country.

The consequences extend beyond the classroom. History shows that efforts to ban discussion of LGBTQ+ identities often lead to the removal of books featuring transgender and nonbinary people, limiting young people's access to information, representation, and diverse perspectives. We know from examples around the country that policies targeting gender identity create a chilling effect that fuels censorship and book bans.

Unfortunately, H.R. 2616 has already passed the House of Representatives. Eight Democrats, including Louisiana's own Cleo Fields, crossed the aisle to vote for this hateful bill. Now we're working to stop it in the Senate, and we're asking everyone to help by contacting Sens. Kennedy and Cassidy today, urging them to oppose H.R. 2616. Every young person deserves to see themselves reflected in books, learn accurate information about the world around them, and attend schools where they are safe, respected, and free to be who they are.