A pair of gay rights advocacy groups said Thursday a judge should halt Utah state laws that discriminate against LGBT students by restricting talk about homosexuality in schools.
The laws create a “chilling culture of silence that stigmatizes LGBTQ students,” Equality Utah and the National Center for Lesbian Rights said in a news release a day after seeking a preliminary injunction against the laws. The move followed the filing of a lawsuit in October.
The state of Utah has denied it has anti-gay school laws, saying the case quotes selectively from state law and school rules. They say the state school board is immune from the lawsuit and asked for the case to be dismissed.
Utah State Board of Education spokesman Mark Peterson said the board had no comment on the request for the injunction because it has not seen the filing. He referred questions to the state attorney general’s office, where spokesman Dan Burton said the case is being reviewed and a response will be filed next month.
The Utah laws include a provision that prohibits instruction on “advocacy of homosexuality,” contraceptives and sex outside marriage.