Background: HB67 seeks to prohibit public K-12 schools and public libraries from knowingly presenting or sponsoring drag performances in the presence of a minor without parental or guardian consent. The bill also includes restrictions on overnight programs operated or sponsored by state agencies, stating that minors may not share multi-occupancy bathrooms, changing facilities, or sleeping quarters with individuals of the opposite sex unless they are family members or parental consent is provided.
Our Position: We oppose HB 67. This bill is an attempt to censor LGBTQ experiences from the public and is contradictory to our First Amendment rights. Supporters of this bill argue that drag performances are not appropriate for minors. That’s a decision for that minor’s parents, caregivers, and family to make – not the State of Alabama. Further, it is already illegal to enter a restroom or locker room for the purpose of harming someone or invading someone’s privacy. HB67 does nothing to increase safety but rather seeks to ostracize and exclude transgender, intersex, and non-binary youth from fully participating in school activities and state-sponsored programs.
