Tennessee House passes bill to ban Pride, other 'ideological' flags in schools

The Tennessee House has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would ban displaying almost any sort of "ideological" flag, including the Pride flag, in public and charter schools.

On Monday, Tennessee state representatives voted 70-24 in favor of HB 1605, which would prohibit a public school or classroom from displaying flags that "represent a political viewpoint, including but not limited to, a partisan, racial, sexual orientation, gender, or other ideological viewpoint." One member present did not vote.

Republican Rep. Gino Bulso, who sponsored the bill, claimed that his constituents have complained to him that too many public schools have "indoctrinated" students through ideologically charged flags such as the Pride flag. "The whole idea is that a school is a place where a child goes to learn, not a place where a child goes to be indoctrinated," Bulso said.

"What we’re doing is making sure parents are the ones who are allowed to instill in their children the values they want to instill."

Bulso also expressed concern that Pride flags draw parity between traditional marriage and same-sex unions. "If you have parents across the state who want to instill in their children values represented by the pride flag, they are certainly entitled to do that," he said on the House floor. "On the other hand, if you have parents who want to instill values in their children that are not consistent with the values represented by the pride flag, they have the ability to do that."

"Everyone is entitled to mutual respect. Everyone is entitled to mutual dignity. Everyone is entitled to tolerance."

Almost all of the debate and the reporting on the bill has focused on the Pride flag. However, as the bill also bans flags with "racial" themes, controversial race-related flags such as those supporting Black Lives Matter would also likely be prohibited in schools.

According to the parameters established by the bill, the only flags that schools can display are the American flag, the Tennessee state flag, most flags relating to local and U.S. armed forces, approved historical flags, Native American tribal flags, college and university flags, and school flags. The bill grants some exceptions for "ideological" flags to be "displayed temporarily as part of a bona fide course curriculum."

Pride-colored coffee mugs, jewelry, tattoos, and similar such items and displays would still be permitted, Bulso said.

As might be expected, Democrats slammed the bill as bigoted and hateful. "The signal that it is giving is evil and wrong," said Rep. Justin Pearson, one of the "Tennessee Three" who were expelled from — then quickly reinstated to — the state House last year over a protest regarding gun control.

Another Democrat representative waxed melodramatic as he portrayed people experiencing same-sex attraction as the victims of seemingly endless persecution. "I am proud when I walk into the public schools in my city, to see the LGBTQ flag in the classrooms, proudly put up by teachers who understand the suffering that many of their students go through," said Rep. Jason Powell. "We should be welcoming and celebrating our students, not hating on them."

As the House began to consider the measure, Rep. Justin Jones, a fellow member of the "Tennessee Three," yelled about and demanded to be recognized. Crowds of LGBTQ activists also gathered in the Capitol, chanting loudly and waving Pride and transgender flags.

But all that emoting and demonstrating did not have much of an effect. Jones was ruled out of order, and Bulso stoically asserted, "I am proud to stand up here on behalf of parents across the state, regardless of how many barbs of hatred and bigotry you want to throw against those parents."

The state Senate could consider a companion bill as early as Thursday after the Senate Education Committee already passed it last week, 5 to 4.

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