National Survey of Educators Perception of Constitutionality of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Laws

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 9:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Reclaiming Education as a Humanizing Praxis through Reimagining

Abstract

This study critically investigates educators’ beliefs about whether “Don’t Say Gay” (DSG) laws violate the First Amendment’s freedom of speech and the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. It explores how educators’ professional roles shape their views on these laws, framing DSG legislation as part of broader systemic efforts to silence LGBTQ+ inclusion and educator voice in public education. The study aims to inform socially just policy responses, illuminate regional political disparities, and elevate educator perspectives as a form of resistance to oppressive state policy.

Author

• Kathryn Watson, Appalachian State University