Teachers, staff, and classmates aren鈥檛 required to use students鈥� pronouns or names if they don鈥檛 align with the student鈥檚 sex assigned at birth, according to legislation passed in at least 10 states.
In at least six of the 10 laws, teachers or administrators are also required to tell parents if their child requests to use a different name or pronouns.
These laws are part of larger efforts to restrict transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming students at school.
These laws often restrict transgender students鈥� right to use school bathrooms that align with their gender identity, or limit their participation in school sports. Some pronoun laws also include another type of restriction, such as a restriction on lessons about gender identity and sexual orientation lessons, or restrictions on gender affirming care in schools.
Pronoun laws are a relatively new type of legislation. All 10 states that passed these laws鈥攁nd the two bills in Louisiana sent to the governor for signatures鈥攊ntroduced them starting May 2022.
Proponents of the laws say they defend the free speech rights of teachers, or the rights of parents to direct their children鈥檚 education.
In at least six states, parents have sued schools over policies school districts say are designed to support students鈥� social transitions to a gender different from what was assigned to them at birth. These lawsuits allege that parents鈥� 14th Amendment rights to direct the upbringing of their children are violated when schools do not inform them of their children鈥檚 pronouns or names, or provide other types of aid in their social transition at school.
None of these states where parents are suing have laws restricting teachers from using students鈥� requested pronouns.
Which states have passed laws restricting pronouns?
The states where pronoun laws were passed are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Utah. In Louisiana, two separate bills were sent to the governor for signatures after being approved by state legislators. A bill in Arizona was vetoed by the governor in May after being passed by the state legislature.
What is the pronoun law in Alabama?
was one of the first laws that laid out how teachers and other school staff should handle students鈥� gender identity.
The law mainly deals with gender-affirming care, but also includes a section that prohibits teachers or other school staff from encouraging a student to 鈥渨ithhold from the minor鈥檚 parent or legal guardian the fact that the minor鈥檚 perception of his or her gender or sex is inconsistent with the minor鈥檚 sex.鈥�
The law also makes it illegal to withhold information about a student鈥檚 gender identity from parents, if it is inconsistent with their sex assigned at birth.
What is the pronoun law in Arkansas?
Under teachers and school staff need parental approval to use a student鈥檚 pronouns or name that is 鈥渋nconsistent鈥� with the sex and name on the student鈥檚 birth certificate.
The law also prohibits schools from requiring teachers to use the pronouns or name a transgender or nonbinary student uses, and does not allow disciplinary consequences for students who intentionally refer to a student in ways that do not align with their gender identity.
What is the pronoun law in Florida?
In addition to Florida鈥檚 so-called 鈥淒on鈥檛 Say Gay鈥� law, which has been interpreted by districts across the state to limit education on gender and sexual identity, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed that requires public schools to pass policies declaring that a 鈥減erson鈥檚 sex is an immutable biological trait and that it is false to ascribe to a person a pronoun that does not correspond to such person鈥檚 sex.鈥�
Under the law, teachers can鈥檛 ask students their pronouns, can鈥檛 be required to use students鈥� or other teachers鈥� pronouns if they don鈥檛 align with their sex assigned at birth, and also may not share the pronouns they use for themselves with students if they do not correspond to the teacher鈥檚 sex.
What is the pronoun law in Indiana?
滨苍诲颈补苍补鈥檚 will require schools to 鈥渘otify a parent when their student asks to be called a different name or uses pronouns that correspond with their gender, not their sex.鈥�
It does not include details on whether teachers are required to use students鈥� requested pronouns.
The law, which goes into effect July 1, also includes a restriction on lessons about 鈥渉uman sexuality鈥� for elementary schools.
What is the pronoun law in Iowa?
says that if a student asks to go by pronouns or a name different from the one in a district鈥檚 records, teachers have to report the student鈥檚 request to an administrator, who then has to report it to the student鈥檚 parent or guardian.
The law also holds districts accountable for violations of this requirement. Districts or individual employees can receive a written warning from the state鈥檚 department of education for the first violation. For subsequent violations, a superintendent or another school employee can be subject to a hearing conducted by the state licensing entity, which may result in disciplinary action.
Iowa鈥檚 law also bans education on gender identity and sexual orientation for K-6 grades.
What is the pronoun law in Kentucky?
includes several types of restrictions.
It bans school districts from requiring teachers to use a student鈥檚 pronouns if they don鈥檛 align with their sex assigned at birth. The law also bans lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation for all grades, and prevents transgender students from using school bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity and not the sex assigned at birth.
Even if a parent provides written consent for a transgender or nonbinary student to request accommodations, the only bathroom access for those students can be single stall or faculty bathrooms, according to the law.
Is there a pronoun law in Louisiana?
Louisiana legislators passed two bills last week and sent them to Gov. John Bel Edwards鈥� office for signatures. Both bills would allow teachers to reject students鈥� pronoun requests.
Edwards, a Democrat, said he opposes the legislation, and plans to veto the bills, . Republican lawmakers who passed the bills can try to override Edwards鈥� vetos. (Last year, Edwards didn鈥檛 block a law banning transgender athletes from participating in women and girls sports competitions because he said the Republican majority would override his veto.)
If , does become law, it would allow school employees to refuse to use a student鈥檚 name or pronouns if they differ from the ones given to them at birth, even if the requested name and pronouns are supported by parents.
Either bill would also allow teachers or other employees to not use a transgender or nonbinary student鈥檚 name or pronouns because of their 鈥溾��
What is the pronoun law in Montana?
Montana鈥檚 law stops who intentionally misgender peers or refer to them by names and pronouns they may have used before transitioning鈥攁s long as it did not constitute bullying.
A May 2023 update to the law requires school districts to create policies for parents to provide written consent before their child can use different pronouns at school. The updated law also says that no one at school can be compelled to use those pronouns if they don鈥檛 align with that student鈥檚 sex assigned at birth.
What is the pronoun law in North Dakota?
North Dakota鈥檚 law allows teachers to their transgender students and colleagues use.
It also to disclose students鈥� identities to parents or legal guardians if students identify as transgender.
The law also prohibits students from using the bathroom of their choice without parental consent.
What is the pronoun law in Tennessee?
Tennessee鈥檚 law says that a district can鈥檛 require teachers or other school employees to use students鈥� pronouns if they don鈥檛 align with their sex assigned at birth. The law was passed to protect teachers鈥� free speech, according to the .
It also says teachers and school districts can鈥檛 be held liable if teachers choose not to use a student鈥檚 requested pronouns, if they don鈥檛 align with the student鈥檚 sex assigned at birth.
What is the pronoun law in Utah?
is one of the only laws that does not directly mention pronouns. (The only other example of this is Alabama鈥檚 law.)
Instead, it prohibits any district from making changes to a student鈥檚 educational records regarding the student鈥檚 gender identity, unless the district has written consent from the student鈥檚 parent.
This only applies if the student鈥檚 gender identity 鈥渄oes not conform with the student鈥檚 sex,鈥� according to the law.
