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  "path": "/politics/national/trans-identity-education-ban",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-17T21:35:43.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.advocate.com",
  "tags": [
    "American library association",
    "Book bans",
    "Don't say trans bill",
    "Education",
    "Hr 7661",
    "Human rights campaign",
    "Lgbtq",
    "Lgbtq youth",
    "Mark takano",
    "Republican party",
    "The authors guild",
    "Transgender",
    "U.s. house of representatives",
    "legislation",
    "_**LGBTQ**_",
    "_**Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.**_",
    "H.R. 7661",
    "LGBTQ+",
    "Democrats",
    "Trump signs executive order targeting transgender students, their teachers, and their schools",
    "Here's how Project 2025's anti-transgender policies could impact all families",
    "California",
    "warned",
    "urged",
    "Human Rights Campaign’s",
    "points",
    "Texas teachers are being forced to deadname transgender students under a new state law",
    "Conservative Supreme Court justices curb California’s effort to shield transgender students from forced outing",
    "Which states teach LGBTQ+ topics in school? Here are the 7 states with inclusive curricula"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nA House committee on Tuesday advanced legislation that would embed restrictions on transgender-related topics into federal education law, intensifying a national fight over what schools can teach and what students are allowed to see of themselves.\n\n******Keep up with the latest in** _**LGBTQ**_**+ news and politics.**_**Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.**_\n\n\nThe bill, H.R. 7661, known as the “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act,” would prohibit schools that receive federal funding from using those funds for materials or programming deemed “sexually oriented,” a category the bill explicitly defines to include “gender dysphoria or transgenderism.”\n\nThat language has drawn sharp criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates and Democrats, who argue it effectively categorizes transgender identity as inherently sexual and therefore inappropriate for schools.\n\n**Related** : Trump signs executive order targeting transgender students, their teachers, and their schools \n\n**Related** : Here's how Project 2025's anti-transgender policies could impact all families \n\nCalifornia U.S. Rep. Mark Takano, chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, said the bill would erase transgender students from classrooms and harm their well-being.\n\n“Students of every gender identity should be able to go to school and learn in a safe, affirming environment,” Takano said in a statement. “When transgender students’ identities are erased, and mentions of their community are [censored] by Congressional mandate, their education—and wellbeing—are needlessly put at risk.”\n\nFree expression groups say the bill would also reshape access to books and information. The American Library Association warned it would give “politicians broad authority” over what stories are allowed in schools and libraries, raising concerns about a federal book ban targeting LGBTQ+ content.\n\nThe Authors Guild has likewise urged lawmakers to oppose the measure, framing it as part of a broader wave of censorship efforts affecting writers, educators, and students.\n\nThe Human Rights Campaign’s Welcoming Schools initiative points to existing school guidance to underscore what could be lost. Resources used by educators emphasize that some children express their gender identity at a young age and that social transitioning, such as using a different name, pronouns, or clothing, is often a first step in aligning outward expression with identity.\n\n**Related** : Texas teachers are being forced to deadname transgender students under a new state law\n\n**Related** : Conservative Supreme Court justices curb California’s effort to shield transgender students from forced outing\n\n**Related** : Which states teach LGBTQ+ topics in school? Here are the 7 states with inclusive curricula\n\nThose same guidelines stress that affirming environments, where students’ names and identities are respected, and bullying is addressed, are linked to better mental health and learning outcomes. The proposal arrives amid a stark and widening divide in how states approach LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools. Only seven states, including California, New Jersey, Colorado, Oregon, Illinois, Nevada, and Washington, require LGBTQ+ topics to be included in curricula.\n\nThe bill now heads to the full House, where it is expected to pass.",
  "title": "Congressional Republicans advance federal ‘don’t say trans’ school bill"
}