NEW RULES

Indiana Governor Signs Transgender Pronoun Bill Into Law

Teachers will now be required to tell parents about their child’s preferences.

Indiana’s Republican governor, Eric Holcomb, on Thursday signed a bill requiring schools to alert parents if their children ask to change their name or pronouns in classrooms. The bill, which will come into force on July 1, will compel school officials to write to parents within five business days of a student asking to use a new “pronoun, title, or word.” The bill also bans instruction on “human sexuality” for students in kindergarten through third grade. “I believe in parental rights,” Holcomb said in a statement. “I also just believe its commonsense [sic] that sex education should not be taught in prekindergarten through third grade.” The law comes as states around the country are passing a flurry of new legislation affecting LGBTQ rights. Some 16 states—including Indiana—have also recently banned or restricted access to gender-affirming care.