Don’t Say LGBTQ
LGBTQ-related curricular laws are important for LGBTQ students’ health, well-being, and academic success. This map shows two distinct, but related policies that censor LGBTQ topics in school curricula. The first of these harmful, exclusionary laws is older-style censorship laws that restrict how schools can discuss “homosexuality” in specific subjects. The second is more recent “Don’t Say LGBTQ” laws that explicitly censor teachers and staff from discussing LGBTQ people or issues throughout all curricula. Click the “Citations” button for more information about each type of law.
Notes:
–In the late 1980s, amidst the HIV/AIDS crisis, states began to enact censorship laws restricting how schools could discuss “homosexuality” in specific subjects like sex or health education. In 2021, these censorship efforts saw a resurgence–and a dramatic escalation–beginning with Florida’s “Don’t Say LGBTQ” law that explicitly banned any discussion of LGBTQ people or issues throughout all school subjects, curricula, learning materials, and more. Click “Citations & More Information” above for further details and sources about each and every state.
–In March 2024, the state of Florida settled a lawsuit that limited the scope of the state’s “Don’t Say LGBTQ” law to instruction only. This means that students can, for example, ask questions about LGBTQ people or issues and teachers can respond, that schools can have Gender-Sexuality Alliances (GSAs), and more. However, the ban still applies to classroom instruction, which is the focus of this map.
–In December 2023, a federal judge temporarily blocked Iowa‘s “Don’t Say LGBTQ” law.
–Click “Citations & More Information” beneath the map legend, for more information about these and all states.
Recommended citation for this set of maps:
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: LGBTQ Curricular Laws.” https://mapresearch.org/equality-map/lgbtq-curricular-laws/. Data as of June 12, 2026.
Recommended citation for this specific map:
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: Don’t Say LGBTQ.” https://mapresearch.org/equality-map/lgbtq-curricular-laws/#dont-say-lgbtq. Data as of June 12, 2026.
Percent of LGBTQ Youth Covered by Laws
*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the LGBTQ youth (ages 13-17) population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of LGBTQ youth in the U.S. territories or under age 13 are not available, and so cannot be reflected here. Population estimates are from The Williams Institute.
*Note: percentages below do not add to 100 because some states have both types of censorship laws.
