Indiana is among at least 10 states that have enacted laws prohibiting or restricting students from using pronouns or names that don’t match their sex assigned at birth, a restriction that opponents say further marginalizes transgender and nonbinary students. Most of the laws were enacted this year and are part of a historic wave of new restrictions on transgender youth approved by Republican states.
The measures are creating fear for transgender students and sowing confusion for teachers on how to comply but still offer a welcoming environment for everyone in their classes.
Yeah they call it “compelled speech” but they don’t get it. They can say whatever the heck they want on their own time, the only consequence being is that trans people and those who understand trans people might not like them very much. You already aren’t allowed to call a co-worker or customer something like “fat”, “ugly” or “mentally ill” for example in a work senario without being remanded to HR because we as a society realize the harm it does to the people who that is levied against. You have to work to live so being forced to put up with that shit or take the financial hit of needing to find other potentially less lucrative ways to support yourself just because someone isn’t empathetic to your circumstances has inspired legal protections. It’s the exact same principle!
The “Freedom of Speech” crowd is usually the most callous anti-social bunch I have to work with. Acting like you are going to burst into flames if you have to hold your tongue when you are on the clock or in a meeting with rules of decorum is like dealing with a toddler who refuses to put on their shoes when leaving the house.