Dear [Your Elected Official],

<p><strong>Please, vote NO on HB1634 and HB2165 in Education Administration Committee on April 3</strong>.</p> <p><strong>State/federal clash</strong>: Both these bills make LGBTQ students more vulnerable in our schools. And both these bills will expose schools across Tennessee to complaints to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, which says on their website:  "Students who believe they have faced discrimination at school based on sexual orientation or gender identity or because they do not conform with sex stereotypes or for another reason may file a complaint with OCR."</p> <p>To be clear, these bills will force school districts to take a more discriminatory posture while the federal government is increasing its enforcement to protect LGBTQ students. This puts students and schools in a horrible position.</p> <p><strong>The real harm</strong>: On March 12, The Washington Post published an important story on these issues. They noted, "School hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people have sharply risen in recent years, climbing fastest in states that have passed laws restricting LGBTQ student rights and education, a Washington Post analysis of FBI data finds.</p> <p>In states with restrictive laws, the number of hate crimes on K-12 campuses has more than quadrupled since the onset of a divisive culture war that has often centered on the rights of LGBTQ+ youth.</p> <p>At the same time, calls to LGBTQ+ youth crisis hotlines have exploded, with some advocates drawing a connection between the spike in bullying and hate crimes, and the political climate."</p> <p>Whatever your political views, we should all agree that every child at every school deserves to be safe and protected. Policy sets the tone for a safe or unsafe climate. Both these bills go in the wrong direction. Removing protections for LGBTQ students and forcing the school to out transgender and nonbinary students will NOT improve the educational outcomes for students, make for more consistent policy, or solve any problem. These measures will create a crisis for students who are already struggling.</p> <p>No version of either bill is helpful for students.</p> <p>Thank you for considering my views.</p>