House Republicans advance bill to ban strippers in schools despite no evidence
Stripper shoes (Getty Images)
On Tuesday (17 March) House Republicans advanced HR 7661, a bill introduced by US Representative for Illinois’s 15th congressional district, Mary Miller, on 25 February.
HR 7661 seeks to bar federal education funding from being used for what it defines as “sexually oriented material” in schools.
“Sexually oriented material” is defined in the bill as “any program, activity, literature, or material that exposes such children to nude adults, individuals who are stripping, or lewd or lascivious dancing.”
Framed by its backers as a measure to protect children, the legislation expands that definition beyond explicit content to include “any material that… involves gender dysphoria or transgenderism”, effectively sweeping LGBTQ+ topics into the same category.
The bill has now cleared the House Committee on Education & Workforce along party lines and is heading to the House floor, after Republicans rejected amendments, introduced by Democrats, that would have safeguarded lessons on subjects like global religions, sexual assault, and child trafficking as reported by Book Riot on 18 March.
Critics argue the proposal functions as both a book ban and a “don’t say trans” policy, warning it could strip funding from schools that include LGBTQ+ representation in curricula or libraries.
Out California Rep. Mark Takano, in a statement, warned of the ramifications of proposed bill, saying: “When transgender students’ identities are erased, and mentions of their community are censured [sic] by Congressional mandate, their education—and wellbeing—are needlessly put at risk.”
Despite claims that the bill is necessary to prevent inappropriate performances, its sponsor, Mary Miller, has not cited any evidence of such incidents in primary or secondary schools, instead pointing to LGBTQ+ themed books as justification.
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