A new Missouri bill “would put teachers on the sex offense registry if they ‘contribute to social transition’” of transgender students, including by using gender-affirming pronouns.A bill introduced in the Missouri Legislature would make it a felony for teachers to"support" a transgender student’s"social transition." If convicted, teachers would be required to register with the state as a sex offender.
this bill will become law. But it drew widespread attention amid contentious political rhetoric focused on schools and LGBTQ+ rights.The bill defines"social transition" as"the process by which an individual adopts the name, pronouns, and gender expression, such as clothing or haircuts, that match the individual’s gender identity," and not the sex assigned at birth.
Marcia McCormick, a St. Louis University law professor, told PolitiFact in an email that she understands the bill as inclusive of"any support" of a student’s adoption of a name, pronouns, or appearance norms connected with a gender that differs from the student’s sex assigned at birth — meaning using certain pronouns would violate the law.
Sex offenders registries date back to the 1940s, instituted primarily as an information tool for law enforcement about who may present a risk to the public, said Andrew Harris, a professor of criminology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.that"there have to be some repercussions of discussing things of a personal nature with students that we shouldn’t be teaching or shouldn’t be talking with them about.
Based on the information available at the time of publishing, the statement is accurate but needs clarification. We rate it Mostly True. Missouri bill would require teachers and counselors to register as sex offenders if they assist a student’s social transition