Restrictions on transgender students’ pronouns, names clear Louisiana Senate

Hundreds of people gathered at Washington Square Park in New Orleans on March 31, 2023, for a march to mark Transgender Day of Visibility. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator)

A controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill restricting what names and pronouns transgender and nonbinary students can use in K-12 schools was approved Wednesday in the Louisiana Senate, placing it two steps away from becoming law.  

House Bill 121 by Rep. Raymond Crews, R-Bossier City, prohibits the use of transgender and nonbinary youths’ chosen names and pronouns in K-12 public schools without parental permission. It passed on a 27-9 vote, with Democratic Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews of Monroe joining Republicans in supporting the bill. 

Crews’ bill would require teachers and other school personnel to use a student’s given name and pronouns that align with their birth sex unless a student has permission from their parents to use their chosen name. Though the proposal has been promoted as a “parental rights” bill, it also gives a teacher the ability to decline to use a transgender student’s preferred name and pronouns if the teacher has a religious objection. 

The bill was amended in the Senate to define a student’s legal name as “a person’s name as may be evidenced on his original birth certificate issued at or near the time of birth,” meaning a teacher with a religious objection could decline to use a transgender student’s name and pronouns even if they have their birth certificate legally changed. 

“By mandating discriminatory measures in our schools, this legislation not only strips trans students of their fundamental rights but also fosters a climate of fear and exclusion,” Peyton Rose Michelle, executive director of Louisiana Trans Advocates, said in a statement. “Louisiana deserves better than laws that undermine the dignity of its youth.” 

In an interview, Crews said that while his bill supports parental rights, parents should not be able to eclipse somebody else’s religious rights. 

Crews’ bill does not have an exception for those who have a religious objection to deadnaming or misgendering students. Deadnaming is when someone uses a transgender or nonbinary person’s birth name or “dead name” against their wishes. Misgendering occurs when someone refers to an individual as a gender that they do not identify. 

“This bill is a grave violation of parental rights by prioritizing the moral objections of others over the fundamental rights of transgender students to be recognized by their chosen names, pronouns and identities,” SarahJane Guidry, executive director of LGBTQ+ rights group Forum for Equality said when the bill came up in committee. “This legislation sets a dangerous and discriminatory precedent.” 

While the bill would allow parents to request a classroom change if a teacher disregards their permission for their transgender or nonbinary child to use their name or pronouns, it does not require the change. Advocates have argued classroom switching might not be feasible in smaller schools. 

At the core of Crews’ proposal is his belief that parents have the right to know whether their children are transgender. Advocates for the LGBTQ+ community say the bill would force transgender youth to out themselves to their parents or else be deadnamed and misgendered at school. They have raised concerns about what happens when parents find out — and don’t approve.

A survey from the Trevor Project found 38% of transgender women, 39% of transgender men and 35% of nonbinary youth have experienced homelessness as a result of parental rejection. 

When asked if he thought the bill would have a detrimental impact on transgender youth, Sen. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, who was tasked with carrying the bill in the Senate, argued it would have a positive impact. 

“If they’re a male, and they want to be called ‘she’, there’s probably something wrong with them, so let’s call them a ‘he,’” Seabaugh said. 

Seabaugh also argued the bill will reduce bullying, as he believes a transgender student is opening themselves up to bullying by identifying with a gender that differs with their sex assigned at birth. 

Crews’ bill has to go back to the House of Representatives for another vote because it was amended by the Senate, where it is likely to receive another vote of approval. The bill is supported by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry. 

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