ACLU of Texas Launches Hub to Support Black, Brown, LGBTQIA+ Students

HOUSTON — The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas published today its Students’ Rights Hub to promote inclusive education in the Lone Star State.

Texas school districts have become increasingly unwelcoming, even hostile, to LGBTQIA+, Black, Indigenous, Brown, and religious minority students through politically motivated book bans, classroom censorship, anti-trans policies, outdated dress codes, and other forms of discrimination. From Grapevine-Colleyville ISD to Granbury ISD to Katy ISD, certain politicians are leading an effort in Texas to ban books and implement policies that target marginalized students.

The hub will serve as a place for students, educators, and advocates to learn about what’s happening in Texas schools and how to protect students’ rights. On the site, visitors can:

• Hear from students directly about the books that have made them feel valued and their ideas for making school a more welcoming place
• Learn about the rights that students have in school, explore banned books in Texas, and unpack the lies fueling attacks on transgender youth
• Find tools for reporting discrimination or censorship and learn how to speak at a school board meeting

The site links to resources from a range of coalitions and partner organizations like IDRA and Texas Freedom Network.

“School districts that implement discriminatory policies and censor classroom discussions of race, gender, and LGBTQIA+ issues cause real harm to Texas students,” said Oni Blair, executive director of the ACLU of Texas. “To thrive in our diverse state, students must be taught an accurate history of our country and learn about the experiences of many different communities. Our new Students’ Rights Hub will provide resources to support students’ ability to learn and access a range of ideas free from discrimination.”

The ACLU of Texas has a long history of advocating with and for students, including our efforts to end the School to Prison Pipeline, oppose the censorship of “banned books” and demand they be returned to the shelves, stop harassment of transgender students, and change discriminatory dress codes across the state.

Visit the ACLU of Texas’ Students’ Rights Hub here: https://www.aclutx.org/en/students-rights-hub