Last month, a Florida teacher with 12 years of experience was fired. Her crime? Calling a student by the name they had always used. No misconduct. No complaints about her teaching. Just one act of basic human dignity that violated a state law designed to force schools to out LGBTQ+ students to their parents, whether it is safe to do so or not. This is happening across America right now, and it is only getting worse.

A wave of state laws is turning schools into surveillance systems. In Texas, teachers are legally required to report students who mention their gender identity within 24 hours. Missouri is pushing to make that the law statewide. Last week, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 to greenlight forced outing policies nationwide. These laws do not protect kids. They endanger them.

Home is not always a safe place to be outed. For many LGBTQ+ youth, involuntary disclosure to parents can mean rejection, violence, or homelessness. According to the Trevor Project, 40% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year. When students are forcibly outed before they are ready, that risk skyrockets.

Teachers should not have to choose between their jobs and their students' safety. Students should not have to fear that their school will expose their identity without their consent. Schools should be places of trust, dignity, and growth, not government surveillance.

We are calling on lawmakers to repeal forced outing laws nationwide and pass federal protections ensuring that no student can be outed by their school without their consent, and no teacher can be punished for treating a student with basic respect.

Sign this petition. Our students and teachers cannot wait.