AFT STANDS IN UNITY AGAINST DISCRIMINATION IN NORTH CAROLINA, KENTUCKY AND SOUTH DAKOTA

WHEREAS, the North Carolina governor and Legislature partially repealed the anti-trans House Bill 2, leaving the most programmatic parts of the law in place; and

WHEREAS, the Kentucky governor has signed a law to permit anti-LGBT discrimination in schools; that law, Senate Bill 17, will allow student groups at colleges, universities and high schools to discriminate against LGBT students; and

WHEREAS, the South Dakota governor has signed an anti-LGBT law allowing taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to deny services and child placement to LGBT families based on religious objections; and

WHEREAS, these laws purposely discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender individuals; and

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers stands unequivocally for the equality of all:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers urges all of its members to avoid unnecessary travel to North Carolina, Kentucky and South Dakota except for the purpose of participating in actions to fight for civil rights in these states or for the purposes of patronizing unionized businesses in those states; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will create an informational campaign to include steps members can take in opposition of the aforementioned laws; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will do the same for any other states that pass laws that discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender individuals—after this convention and before the next; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT urges all of its members to avoid unnecessary travel to any state that passes similar discriminatory laws except for the purpose of participating in actions to fight for civil rights in those states or for the purposes of patronizing unionized businesses in those states.