Georgia GOP lawmaker hits pause on bill dubbed ‘Don’t Say Gay’ by critics to make changes

Georgia lawmakers are considering a bill that opponents compare to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, which seeks to limit the way teachers and others responsible for caring for minors can answer questions about the child’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

The bill, authored by Republican state Sen. Carden Summers of Cordele, got its first debate at a Senate committee hearing Tuesday, but lawmakers did not vote on it. At the start of the hearing, Summers said he plans to bring the bill back with changes to accommodate criticism from parents and educators.

As written, the bill bars teachers, librarians, camp counselors and others responsible for tending to people 16 and under from engaging in discussion about “information regarding a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity, other than the child’s biological sex” without written permission from the parent, even if the child starts the conversation.