MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama lawmakers have approved a bill that would ban classroom instruction and discussion related to gender identity and sexual orientation for all public school students from prekindergarten through twelfth grade, expanding the state’s existing restrictions to cover every grade level.
House Bill 244, sponsored by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, also prohibits teachers and school employees from displaying flags or insignia representing sexual orientation or gender identity on school property. Additionally, the legislation bars educators from referring to students by pronouns that do not match their biological sex at birth.
The bill passed the House with a 74-15 vote and cleared the Senate, sending it to the governor’s desk. If signed, the law will take effect July 1, 2025.
Supporters argue the measure is necessary to keep classroom content “age appropriate,” but critics say the bill targets LGBTQ+ students and staff, further stigmatizing them and suppressing discussion of their existence in Alabama schools. LGBTQ+ advocates have described the legislation as part of a wave of state bills that restrict expression and visibility for queer and transgender people.
The legislation builds on a 2022 law that already barred such classroom discussions in kindergarten through fifth grade if deemed not age or developmentally appropriate. HB244 removes the “age appropriate” language and extends the ban through high school seniors, making Alabama’s restrictions among the broadest in the nation.
The Alabama bill is part of a series of recent legislative efforts targeting LGBTQ topics in public institutions, including proposals to ban drag performances in schools and restrict bathroom access for transgender minors.