The claim that Texas declared bringing a pride flag to classrooms a crime originated on a satirical website and is false. There is no evidence of any such declaration or law in the state, and the Texas legislature is not in regular session until 2025. The article claiming the legislation was titled “The Classroom Sanctity Act” and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott at a ceremony on September 7 is not legitimate, as there is no record of such legislation or event. This misinformation falls under the category of “stolen satire,” where satirical stories are reposted as legitimate news, misleading readers.
While this specific claim is false, there have been real incidents related to pride flags and sexuality in schools. For example, a Texas State Senate bill introduced in 2023 aimed to restrict content related to sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, but it was left pending in committee. Additionally, a school district in San Antonio prohibited educators from displaying personal or political viewpoints in the classroom after a teacher displayed a pride flag, and a Tennessee State Senate bill that would have banned public schools from displaying ideological flags, including the pride flag, was blocked from advancing by a bipartisan group of state senators.
Several fact-checking organizations, including Check Your Fact and Full Fact, have debunked the false claim about Texas declaring bringing a pride flag to classrooms a crime.
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