Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) has signed a comprehensive students’ rights bill into law that protects LGBTQ+ youth, angering Republicans who feel the legislation quashes parental rights.

H.B. 1296 bans discrimination against marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ people, and establishes clear complaint procedures for when violations occur. It also limits parental access to children’s health care and counseling information, which will protect many LGBTQ+ students from being outed to their parents without their consent.

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“The top priority for our schools should be to ensure a safe learning environment where every student has the chance to thrive,” Gov. Ferguson said as he signed the bill.

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Washington voters passed a Parent Bill of Rights last year that granted parents access to their kids’ medical and academic records. Opponents of the new law say it tramples on these rights.

BrieAnne Gray, a parent in the state, spoke to KOMO News to express her anger over the bill’s passage. “The parents should have that knowledge so they can provide those resources for their children,” Gray said. “It should never be the government’s choice, the government’s decision.”

“This is why schools, teachers, school districts need to work with the parents, not against the parents. I am not suggesting that there are not unsafe homes, that there are not situations where we certainly need to have resources available for these students, but I think it is completely absurd to think that we are going to shut parents out of our students’ lives and our children’s lives.”

“This bill will erode parents’ trust,” said state Sen. Nikki Torres (R) before the bill passed. “This bill is very disrespectful to parents and to families.” 

Bill sponsor state Rep. Monica Jurado Stonier (D) said that youth “deserve a place where they can be seen and acknowledged in their full selves and experience a full curriculum,” likely referring to the section of the text that ensures the right to material “with historically and scientifically accurate information that includes the histories, contributions, and perspectives of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups.”

Stonier added, “To be able to experience a school system without discrimination is top notch priority for the teachers in this state.”

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