Gov. Mark Gordon indicated he will allow a bill that that will require schools to notify parents of “a change in the student’s physical, mental or emotional health or well-being” – in other words, requiring schools to “out” gay, transgender or gender-nonconforming youth to their parents – to become law without his signature.
The ACLU of Wyoming opposed Senate File 9. People — children and adults — have a constitutional right not to have intimate facts about their lives disclosed without their consent. That includes their sexual orientation or whether they are transgender. Children do not give up their constitutional rights by enrolling in public school and have the right to keep certain information private.
The following statement can be attributed to Antonio Serrano, ACLU of Wyoming advocacy director:
“While parents in Wyoming have a constitutional right to make decisions about their children’s education – like whether to send their kids to public or private school – Senate File 9 has nothing to do with these protected parental rights. This bill disguises discrimination as parental rights, enabling politicians to require the forced outing of trans and nonbinary students.
“Allowing Senate File 9 to pass into law without a signature is shameful and only reinforces the incorrect notion that transgender students are not entitled to the same dignity, respect and rights as all students.”
About the ACLU of Wyoming
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of Wyoming is part of a three-state chapter that also includes North Dakota and South Dakota. The team in Wyoming is supported by staff in those states.
The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people. In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women, and the LGBTQ communities. The ACLU of Wyoming carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level, and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of Wyoming.
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