As a queer Kentuckian raised Southern Baptist and educated in Christian schools until I was 14, I know firsthand the pain and isolation that comes from being forced to confront religious teachings that clash with your identity. For me, navigating the faith that was imposed on me alongside my queerness was a journey fraught with emotional turmoil. The very environment that was meant to nurture and educate instead magnified my sense of solitude and rejection. Unfortunately, my story isn’t unique. Many queer Southerners can relate to the experience of growing up in religious communities that prioritize conformity over acceptance.
That’s why the current debates surrounding the display of religious texts in public schools in Kentucky and Louisiana resonate deeply with me and so many others in the LGBTQ+ community. The fight over religious displays in public schools is not just about the Ten Commandments or historical interpretations of law. It’s also about the rights of queer and trans youth, who are already struggling with societal rejection, to have their identities respected and protected within the public sphere.
Kentucky’s proposed bill: Religious displays in classrooms
In Kentucky, lawmakers have introduced House Bill 65 during the 2025 legislative session, a bill which mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom. The bill mandates a permanent, durable copy of the Commandments, accompanied by a “secular” explanation of their alleged influence on Western civilization and common law, to be posted in every classroom of Kentucky’s public elementary and secondary schools.
For me, this proposed bill brings up painful memories of growing up in an environment where religious teachings were not just a matter of personal faith — they were imposed on every aspect of my life. As a queer person, I was told that my identity was sinful and wrong. It wasn’t just that I was expected to believe in God’s love; I was expected to believe in a God whose love didn’t extend to me and others like me. The thought of seeing religious texts, especially those that historically have been used to condemn LGBTQ+ people, displayed in every classroom of Kentucky’s public schools is not just political, but painful.
If passed, this bill would send a message to LGBTQ+ students that their identities are unwelcome or secondary to a dominant religious worldview. It risks further marginalizing those of us who don’t fit within the narrow confines of fundamentalist Christian teachings. The bill’s “secular” justification is an attempt to circumvent legal challenges, but the reality is that such religious displays will feel like a government endorsement of values that many queer people find oppressive. If Kentucky truly values its LGBTQ+ students, it should ensure that public education remains a space where all young people — no matter their background or identity — feel safe, respected and free from coercion.
Louisiana’s H.B. 71: A legal victory for religious freedom
Louisiana faced a similar situation with the passage of House Bill 71, which mandated the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom. In a legal challenge brought by a group of parents represented by Americans United and other groups, a federal court ruled that this law violated the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from endorsing any particular religion. The court’s decision was a significant victory for those of us who have been harmed by religious imposition in public life. It recognized that forcing students to confront religious teachings that conflict with their beliefs, particularly when those teachings have historically been used to marginalize LGBTQ+ people, is coercive and unconstitutional.
The ruling in Louisiana stands as a reminder that public education should be a space for all students, regardless of their identity or belief system. As someone who grew up feeling the weight of religious teachings that rejected my queerness, I understand how deeply such displays can affect young people. For LGBTQ+ students, being forced to engage with religious texts that condemn their identities is not only harmful, it perpetuates a culture of fear and isolation. The court’s decision reflects the broader fight for religious freedom, not just for those who adhere to the dominant religious traditions, but also for those of us who seek to live authentically in the face of pressure to conform.
A broader pattern: Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the South
The legal battles over religious displays in schools are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader pattern of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that continues to spread across the United States. In 2023, there were 510 anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed, and in 2024, that number rose to 533. As of January 2025, 138 bills have already been introduced in the current legislative session, many of them targeting transgender youth, restricting access to health care or attempting to enforce religious teachings in public spaces.
I’ve covered these bills extensively for the nonprofit advocacy group Queer Kentucky, and each one serves as a painful reminder of the uphill battle LGBTQ+ people, particularly those in the South, face every day. Kentucky is a state where Christian Nationalists hold considerable influence, and their push to legislate religious beliefs into public life has gained more traction in recent years. This isn’t just a political issue; it’s a deeply personal one. It’s the experience of loving a state while recognizing the forces working to erase your identity. The fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the South isn’t just about legal battles; it’s about the very fabric of our lives. It’s about ensuring that queer and trans people can live openly and authentically without fear of punishment, rejection or erasure.
The importance of queer Southern voices
The fight over religious displays in public schools is not just about LGBTQ+ rights. It is about religious freedom for all. AU’s principle of Freedom Without Favor and Equality Without Exception must be at the core of our public education system, ensuring that no student is coerced into adhering to a specific religious doctrine, regardless of their background or beliefs. Every student, whether they are queer, religious or non-religious, deserves an environment where their identity is respected and free from state-endorsed religious imposition. We must continue to advocate for freedom and equality, where public spaces, including schools, are safe for all students to learn and grow without fear of discrimination or coercion. This is not just a matter of LGBTQ+ rights; it is about upholding the fundamental freedoms that make our democracy strong, ensuring that every child — regardless of who they are — can experience education free from religious favoritism or prejudice.
The issue of religious displays in public schools is one of many that LGBTQ+ Southerners must confront, but it is also an opportunity to make our voices heard. Every queer Southerner has a story to tell: stories of pain, of joy, of resilience and of resistance. We must continue to speak out and challenge laws that seek to impose a single religious worldview on all students, and in doing so, we can create a more inclusive world for future generations.
Belle Townsend (she/they) is a member of Americans United’s Youth Organizing Fellowship and a writer, organizer and researcher from Robards, Ky., currently living and working in Louisville. They do communications and creative work for issue-based nonprofits, particularly around LGBTQ+ civics and politics in Kentucky.