Telling children what being gay is will harm them

Many concerns around these bills hinge on the potential for censorship through content-related restrictions even around promotion or demotion of certain content in algorithms and not the content itself. Reddit closed any subreddits where sex workers discussed safety measures.

The conservative application of ambiguous language can lead to de facto censorship and withdrawal of services, as seen when Planned Parenthood reduced offerings in states where abortion remained legal, citing legal ambiguity and litigation costs.

After the bills were enacted, companies cracked down on online spaces that included discussions of sexuality, whether sex trafficking was common or not. Sex workers have tried to avoid moderation policies by intentionally misspelling words or limiting the information they share with the community.

New proposals, like KOSA, do not seem to solve these problems. Additionally, many children can circumvent protections by easily lying about their age or using virtual private networks VPNs online. Ryan believes that culturally relevant education and guidance, such as that developed by the Family Acceptance Project, must be made available to families, caregivers, teachers and providers to help them understand the profound impact that their response to LGBTQ identity has on a child’s health and well-being.

We turned to experts to learn more about what to say and how to offer support to your LGBTQ+ kid. Learn timely steps we can take to promote acceptance and equality for all. Here, we look at both risk factors and protective factors for their mental health.

The more we know about what helps — and harms — LGBTQ+ kids, the better we can support them.

Why LGBTQ Isn’t for

This offers a preview of the potential adverse impacts of future child safety legislation, such as the elimination of safe spaces for children who will likely continue to access the internet regardless. XMicrosoftand Apple have endorsed the bill alongside various advocacy groups.

The findings, interpretations, and conclusions posted in this piece are solely those of the authors and are not influenced by any donation. FloridaArkansasTexasNebraskaLouisiana, and others all have passed bills aimed at protecting children online that are more extreme than the proposals presented at the federal level.

Marsha Blackburn R-Tenn. Ultimately, any policy that regulates content must anticipate how it might be interpreted by courts, platforms, and enforcement agencies. These violations are common due to broad, ambiguous language in COPPA and financial penalties that are largely negligible for large companies.

In response to these concerns, lawmakers amended the original text to clarify that it does not preempt Section of the Communications Decency Actwhich affords liability protections to platforms that host user-generated content.

Meta and Microsoft are general, unrestricted donors to the Brookings Institution. In fact, searches for VPNs doubled in the days after Utah required age-verification measures on pornography sites. If your child comes out to you, how you react matters.

New rules do not circumvent these longstanding issues without introducing further privacy concerns through age verification requirements. Research found that millions of underage users still signed up for Facebook, despite COPPA requirements against young users joining the site.

For the first time in over two decades, Congress may approve major legislation focused on protecting children online. As we reflect on the conclusion of Pride Month across the U. Solutions such as creating opt-in digital environments designed with youth safety in mind—rather than relying on blunt content filters—and enacting stronger protections against addictive game mechanics could help give children and teens greater agency over their online safety.

While search bars are exempted under the bill to ensure teens can access accurate search results, this provision is contradicted by other language in the bill, including oversight of algorithmic ranking systems. Anti-LGBTQ legislation harms more than individuals—it reinforces exclusion and perpetuates stereotypes.

Should therapists be allowed

Lawmakers should take caution to narrow definitions of harm to avoid unintended consequences for online content. The job of a therapist is to guide them through their confusion to self-acceptance, not tell them what the Bible says they should be.

Meanwhile, states are going further than the proposed federal bills.