House Republicans Target LGBTQ People with National 'Don't Say Gay' Bill, Testing GOP Values Ahead of Midterms

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A new Republican-led House bill is being described as the national equivalent of Florida's controversial Parental Rights in Education bill, also known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, which was passed into law earlier this year.

On Tuesday, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana and 32 other congressional Republicans introduced what they're calling the Stop the Sexualization of Children Act of 2022, which would prevent the use of federal funds from developing or funding "any sexually-oriented program, event, or literature for children under the age of 10, and for other purposes."

The bill, if passed, would prevent schools from providing books about LGBTQ topics to children under 10. And beyond that, it would impact federally funded facilities like public libraries, schools, hospitals and more.

RELATED: What to Know About Florida's Controversial New Bill Banning LGBTQ Topics in Schools

As NBC News points out, the bill defines "sexually-oriented material" as "any depiction, description, or simulation of sexual activity, any lewd or lascivious depiction or description of human genitals, or any topic involving gender identity, gender dysphoria, transgenderism, sexual orientation, or related subjects."

LGBTQ advocates are now pointing out their concerns with the bill, which has wording that legal experts have said may open teachers of any grade level to lawsuits, per NBC. Specifically, the bill prohibits instruction "in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."

"The Democrat Party and their cultural allies are on a misguided crusade to immerse young children in sexual imagery and radical gender ideology," Johnson said in a statement. "No federal tax dollars should go to any federal, state, or local government agencies, or private organizations that intentionally expose children under 10 years of age to sexually explicit material."

RELATED: Florida Teens, Families Sue School Boards Over 'Don't Say Gay' Law: 'Forces Us to Self-Censor'

Joe Raedle/Getty Ron DeSantis

The bill is the first introduced at the federal level that characterizes LGBTQ people and concepts as inherently sexual, and follows some Republicans calling LGBTQ-inclusive curricula, or drag events, "grooming," which NBC reports as false moral panic about LGBTQ people. Framing sexual orientation and gender identity as "sexually explicit" in all contexts is deceiving and harmful.

"A new NATIONAL bill by Republicans would ban 'any exposure to transgenderism to children under the age of 10,'" activist Erin Reed wrote on Twitter. "This would fire all trans teachers, Trans workers in hospitals that serve children, counselors, social workers. It defines being trans as 'sexual.'"

Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard Law School, also spoke out about the proposed bill on Twitter, writing that "equating LGBTQ people to sexually explicit material is dehumanizing and disgusting."

RELATED: White House Describes Scene in Florida as 'Don't Say Gay' Bill Takes Effect: 'More Fearful and Less Free'

Florida introduced its state-level version of the bill back in January, when Republican Dennis Baxley argued his intent was "to give, really, some relief to the school staff that they're not responsible for every issue in every person's life."

During a press conference for the bill signing in March, Gov. Ron DeSantis argued that "we will continue to recognize that in the state of Florida, parents have a fundamental role in the education, health care, and well-being of their children. We will not move from that."

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When it was initially introduced, it was condemned by thousands of Walt Disney employees across the country, and while DeSantis claimed he didn't "care what Hollywood says," the company later issued a statement condemning his law as well.

"Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that," the statement read.

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