Equality Utah and NCLR Announce Major Lawsuit Challenging Utah’s Anti-LGBT Curriculum Laws on Behalf of Public School Students, Parents, and Teachers
(Salt Lake City, Utah, Oct. 21, 2016)—Today, Equality Utah and three students, represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and the law firm of Ropes & Gray LLP, announced a federal lawsuit challenging state laws that ban positive speech about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Utah public schools.
The lawsuit—the first of its kind in the country to challenge such state laws—alleges that the laws violate the U.S. Constitution and federal education law by discriminating against LGBT people and restricting the First Amendment rights of students and teachers.
“These are some of the last remaining anti-LGBT laws that are currently being enforced in the country, and they’re especially odious, because they explicitly apply to school classes on every subject,” said Equality Utah Executive Director Troy Williams. “These laws send a message that our lives are shameful and must be hidden and censored. They create a deadly culture of silence and non-acceptance, causing harms that can never fully be undone. The time has come to end the stigma and strike down this shameful law.”
The lawsuit challenges several Utah laws and regulations that prevent positive portrayals of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people in curricula, classroom discussions, and student clubs. The lawsuit claims that these discriminatory restrictions create a negative environment for LGBT students, perpetuate discrimination and bullying, and contribute to the high rates of anti-LGBT harassment in Utah schools. For instance, one plaintiff experienced severe physical and verbal harassment from other students in his kindergarten class based on his gender non-conformity. When his parents complained to school leaders about the harassment, they were told that the school district could not protect their son because of these discriminatory school laws.
The lawsuit also describes the many other ways that these laws harm students and teachers, including preventing students from receiving accurate information about sexual orientation and LGBT people, even when it serves important educational purposes, and prohibiting teachers and students from sharing positive views of LGBT people. For example, one of the student plaintiffs was given a class assignment to give an oral family history report and wanted to report on his uncle’s marriage to his same-sex spouse, but was told he could not talk about his uncle in front of his classmates.
“We are honored to represent Equality Utah and these brave students and their families in this historic case,” said Ropes & Gray partner Douglass Hallward-Dremeier, who argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges, which struck down state laws barring same-sex couples from marrying. “These discriminatory laws are outdated, harmful, and blatantly unconstitutional. They serve no purpose other than to isolate and stigmatize young people who deserve to be fully supported and embraced.”
Said NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell, a Utah native: “It is long past time for these dangerous laws to be struck from the books. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that sexual orientation is ‘a normal expression of human sexuality’ and that LGBT people must be treated equally under the law. These laws openly discriminate against LGBT students and teachers. They stigmatize vulnerable young people who should be celebrated and supported, and they censor constitutionally protected free speech, including students’ right to receive accurate information about sexual orientation and LGBT people.”
Download the complaint and learn more about the case.
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The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. www.NCLRights.org
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E.H. Karl narrates inspiring story of courage, faith over fear
Readers join Micaylah as she learns to conquer fear through faith in Never Never
SALT LAKE CITY – E.H. Karl’s “Micaylah and the Never Never” (published by WestBow Press) is a compelling story of a girl who travels halfway across the globe to learn the true meaning of courage and faith.
Fear and faith collide when a life-altering event forces 12-year-old Micaylah Thompson to travel halfway around the world to the second most inhospitable place on the planet: the Australian outback. There she must trust her Uncle Thad and Aunt Sarah, relatives she barely knows, who are missionaries to Aboriginal tribes in the heart of the Northern Territory.
Readers then gets acquainted with Kumquat, an Australian shepherd who accompanies Micaylah on her journey, as she explores the wonders of a land that time seems to have forgotten. This is her story of faith, which deepens and grows, touching those around her during her adventure in the Never Never.
A tale of how a girl resolved both her inner and outer conflicts as she weaves through a series of adventures with her new friends and relatives she barely knows, “Micaylah and the Never Never” shows readers young and old that the journey within is as beautiful and insightful as the journey without.
“It’s okay to step out of your comfort zone,” Karl reminds readers. And the author does it with the grit of Micaylah’s adventures and a flare for that much needed heart and hope in an action-packed story.
“Micaylah and the Never Never”
By E.H. Karl
Hardcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 236 pages | ISBN 9781512750546
Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5in | 236 pages | ISBN 9781512750522
E-Book | 236 pages | ISBN 9781512750539
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Early years saw author E.H. Karl growing up in a blended family and raised as an atheist. After working in management, he pursued a career in transportation, ultimately receiving a commercial driver’s license. During his time as a long-haul driver, he trained new drivers while assisting his employer with a program geared to educate young minds about the United States. As one of many who participated in the program, when the company was honored by their local school district with an award, the keynote speaker mentioned how his efforts had motivated and encouraged her with school. In his spare time, he reads, explores cultures and cares for his spouse, puppy and cat.
WestBow Press is a strategic supported self-publishing alliance between HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Author Solutions, LLC — the world leader in supported self-publishing. Titles published through WestBow Press are evaluated for sales potential and considered for publication through Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. For more information, visit www.westbowpress.com or call (866)-928-1240. For WestBow Press news, click “Like” at www.facebook.com/WestBowPress and follow @westbowpress on Twitter.
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