TN GOP lawmaker files bill aimed at banning ‘political’ flags in schools; says pride flags ‘indoctrinate’ students

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Tennessee could be one of the first states to ban political flags in all public schools.

Republican State Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) has filed a bill to ban all flags in schools that aren’t the official Tennessee or United States flag.

Bulso said he drafted the bill after hearing concerns from constituents about pride flags being displayed in schools.

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“I had some complaints from Williamson County parents and a Williamson County School Board member, in particular, about pride flags in some of our schools in Williamson County,” Bulso said. “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. So you’re focusing on just one purpose of the bill having to do with political statements regarding transgender ideology and other similar issues.”

Bulso said the country used to have a “very strong consensus” on what the nation’s values are, and these are the values he believes most parents taught in schools.

“Certainly, you know, 50 years ago we had a consensus on what marriage is; we don’t have that anymore. One-hundred years ago, we had a consensus on sexual morality; I don’t think we have that anymore. So the values that I think most parents want their children exposed to are the ones that were in existence at the time that our country was founded,” he said.

Bulso said the pride and trans flag represent ideas he disagrees with, like the 2015 Supreme Court Obergefell v Hodges decision, saying the 14th Amendment requires states recognize same-sex marriage.

“That’s one issue that I think that flag represents this idea that, somehow, the 14 Amendment has an equal protection clause that extends this protection, which is obviously something I very much disagree with,” he said. “And I think a lot of parents and I would be included in that group, really think that this transgender ideology is probably the most dangerous one that comes under that pride flag.”

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Bulso expects the bill to change as it goes through the legislative process and as that happens, other flags will be allowed.

“I can assure you it will not look anything at the end of the process the way it does right now; there are going to be some exceptions that will include in the bill when there probably will be some type of a civil enforcement mechanism that we’ll put in the bill,” he said.

Bulso said state flags or flags from other countries will likely be added as exceptions, but not ones that promote an “agenda,” like the Black Lives Matter flag.

When asked who or what will decide whether a flag promotes an ideology or is political, Bulso didn’t answer directly.

“One of the things about good legislation is it does not have any unintended consequences,” he said. “So those are all things that we can spell out in recitals to the bill, of findings that we’ll put in the bill to make it clear as to what the intent of the bill is.”

The Tennessee Equality Project said they are already watching this bill and is nervous about its broad implications and the message it sends to students.

“We live here; this is our home; this is our state; the capitol is as much our building as it is anyone else’s, and we’re not going anywhere,” said Brian Sullivan of the Tennessee Equality Project

Similar laws are being proposed in Utah, Florida, and school boards across the country.

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In an open letter to any group looking to ban LGBTQ flags, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called this a “disturbing new trend.”

“The U.S. Constitution also guarantees robust free expression rights upon which the flag bans unlawfully infringe. While speech in public schools may be subject to more restrictions than other arenas, the Supreme Court has repeatedly held that First Amendment protections extend to ‘teachers and students,'” ACLU attorney Li Nowlin-Sohl wrote.

Bulso is also representing Williamson County parents over a decision to keep books with “obscene materials” in schools.

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