Alabama Pols Cut Off Debate, Pass ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill

The Alabama Senate tacked on a version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law to an existing bill and passed it—after cutting off debate when one lawmaker criticized it, AL.com reports. The measure—which would ban elementary school teachers from “instruction” on gender and sexual identity—was included in a proposal to bar trans kids from using bathrooms of their choice. Sen. Bobby Singleton, a Democrat, asked the sponsor what would happen if “little Johnny” asked a teacher if he was a boy or a girl. Sen. Shay Shelnutt replied that the teacher would answer, “Little Johnny, you're a boy”—at which point Singleton noted that would be answering a question about gender, which the bill theoretically outlaws. The bill still needs to be approved by the House before it goes to the governor.