Alabama Bans Diversity Programs in Schools

Alabama Bans Diversity Programs in Schools

Hot off the press. Today, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a law that bans any programs on diversity, equity, and inclusion in public schools. She, and other Republicans, state that education is tilting too much to the left. The bill passed Alabama's Republican-led legislature yesterday, was signed by Ivey today, and will be put into action by October.

 

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Not only does the bill affect the LGBTQ community, but also calls diversity and racial discussion "divisive concepts" and also calls for a ban on discussing one race responsible for actions committed in the past, i.e. slavery.

The bill also calls for a ban on gender-neutral restrooms, going against trans rights activity. Only male and female restrooms according to biological sex will be available in public school spaces.

According to the bill, any employee going against that ban will be terminated.

 

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Ivey released a statement:

My administration has and will continue to value Alabama’s rich diversity, however, I refuse to allow a few bad actors ... go under the acronym of DEI, using taxpayer funds, to push their liberal political movement.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama fired back in a statement:

"It’s an anti-truth bill which curtails an education on systemic inequities, racial violence, and the historic efforts to gain civil rights and civil liberties for marginalized communities throughout our nation’s history."

 

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The NAACP also fired back:

"Today, the Alabama government has failed our children. The ongoing assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion is part of an anti-Black agenda that seeks to revert our nation back to a time where Black students and teachers were denied adequate access to the classroom. We refuse to go back."

The House Education Policy Committee is advancing further legislation that would prohibit classroom discussions or instruction related to gender identity or sexual orientation in public schools through 12th grade. As it stands now, such discussions are prohibited up to 5th grade. It would also ban any Pride flags or any LGBTQ signage in the classroom.

Alabama follows Texas and its anti-DEI legislation that forced diversity offices to close last year. Florida enacted the  Stop WOKE Act and Utah has signed like legislation, and many other states have anti-DEI bills in process.

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