IATSE Pride Committee: “We Say Gay!”

Posted on

Click to enlarge

As the 2022 midterms approach, numerous bills are being pushed across the U.S. which discriminate against LGBTQ+ people.

In Florida, the state legislature just passed what is known as the “don’t say gay” bill, a law that outright bans public school districts from teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade, while in higher grades they prohibit presenting them “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students”.  On the surface it may sound reasonable, but who gets to decide what is “appropriate”? Critics argue the ambiguity of this language essentially extends the ban to higher grade levels as well. 

Press secretary Christina Pushaw suggests that anyone opposing this bill is a “groomer” or someone who doesn’t “denounce grooming 4–8-year-old children”, once again perpetuating the disgusting and hateful trope that LGBTQ+ people are sexual predators.  Supporters of the bill argue that parents should be the ones to discuss the topic with their children, but when a Republican state senator attempted to broaden the language to ban “human sexuality or sexual activity”, it was rejected by Republican lawmakers.  Once again, they have proven that it’s not actually about sex or parental rights, but about demonizing LGBTQ+ people specifically.  

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signalled his intention to sign this into law.

At least nine other states are considering legislation limiting LGBTQ+ speech in schools, including Indiana, Iowa, and Texas, which is going even further with the governor issuing a directive that doctors, nurses, and teachers report parents of trans kids for child abuse. 
“These bills are appalling,” said IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb.  “LGBTQ+ people are not some imaginary threat.  They are our fellow IATSE members, friends and family and deserve to be treated with the same respect and dignity as anyone else.” 
The IATSE Pride Committee states, “We strongly condemn these bills and any law or government action that criminalizes who people are. We must demand that the elected officials who the IATSE supports not back, nor vote, for any legislation that attacks us.  We encourage people to let it be known to their elected officials that we will not stand for these attacks.” 
The IATSE Pride Committee vows to continue to “say GAY” at every chance they get.
 
 
 
You can use this legislative tracker to see a list of anti-LGBTQ bills by state:
 
Tell your Senators to Vote YES on the Equality Act:
 
Tell Florida Lawmakers to Oppose “Don’t Say Gay” Bill:


If you are, or know of, an LGBTQ+ person in need of assistance, please see the resources below:

GLAAD’s LGBTQ Resource List: https://www.glaad.org/resourcelist

Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org, 1-877-565-8860 (USA) or 1-877-330-6366 (Canada)

The Trevor Project for LGBTQ Youth: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/ 
Posted in IATSE, Politics, U.S.A..