OKLAHOMA CITY – In response to the House of Representatives advancing HB 1775 by Representative West and Senator Bullard, a bill that would prohibit educating students about concepts, such as race, gender and sexuality, the ACLU of Oklahoma issued the following response:
The following is attributable to Nicole McAfee, Director of Policy and Advocacy:
“The advancement of HB 1775 demonstrates the very need for the types of education our legislature is attempting to prohibit. What House floor Republicans deem “harmful ideologies” are actually concepts diversity trainings use to educate individuals on the systemic barriers and discrimination people of color, especially Black people, and other marginalized groups still face in this country today across our institutions — from our workplaces and schools to our criminal legal system. HB 1775 silences individuals and imposes an alternate version of American history — one that erases the legacy of discrimination and lived experiences of Black and Brown people, women and girls, and LGBTQ2S+ individuals.”
“Our state needs to acknowledge its history of systemic racism and sexism and reckon with present day impacts of racial and gender discrimination. Slavery and its legacy of oppression are parts of American history that Black people are still facing today. Women, especially women of color, continue to be segregated in lower-status and lower-wage fields in the workplace, and are paid less than men across the board.”
“This authoritarian-leaning legislation presents the real danger and takes us steps backwards in achieving full equity in Oklahoma and this country.”
