As the 9:00 a.m. bell rang on Tuesday, Aug. 12, students fearfully shoved their phones in their backpacks as assistant principals circled the hallway. Seeing the leftover tape from a torn down Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) poster, returning Warriors sensed a shift in the atmosphere.
Awaiting attendance to be called, a student, proud to be a member of the LGBTQA+ community, hears their legal name called by the teacher. As thoughts of the version of themselves that does not resemble their true identity circle their brain, the student approaches the teacher asking for it to be corrected, but later finds out that a parent or guardian had to have filled out a form allowing for another name to be called.
These scenarios are all too real for Warriors. Following a slew of legislation the summer prior, most notably Senate Bill 12 (SB 12), and House Bill 1481, the lives of students and staff at public schools in Texas have been irreversibly affected. The Texas legislature has directly violated the First Amendment rights of LGBTQA+ students across the state. It is no secret that the provisions of SB 12 that ban teachers from calling students by their chosen name are a result of the negative sentiments that Texas lawmakers have towards the LGBTQA+ community. The bill’s harsh standards mean that for teachers, not addressing a student by their legal name can result in multiple repercussions, creating a hostile environment where being identified or addressed properly is impossible.
However, these recent bills are not the first time Texas lawmakers have attempted to enact oppressive policies. For example, in 2021, lawmakers passed a bill that required that K-12 students only participate in sports based on the gender listed on a legal birth certificate. More recently, a ban was implemented on gender identity clubs. These policies show that recent bills are not one-off events, but rather part of a broader agenda.
In Westwood alone, we have witnessed the government become increasingly more oppressive. In the 2023-2024 school year, phone usage was left up to teachers. The next year, it was mandatory for teachers to have students put away their phones. However, students were able to use their phones in passing periods, flex, lunch, and if a school project required the use of a cellular device. This year marks the official start of the government-mandated phone ban. From bell to bell, all cellular phones and Bluetooth-connecting devices must be inside students backpacks or up in a caddy. Students now live in an environment of terror, where every day, they pass by administration holding ziploc bags with the possibility of their phones being disposed of.
The host of laws passed this summer show that the state government has begun to prioritize an agenda of oppression and encroachment, leaving students and staff frightened, and worried about what is next to come. As more and more laws are passed each legislative session, classrooms shift from places of learning to places of fear.
