In a move sure to spark heated discussion across political and social spectrums, the Tennessee House recently passed a bill that would restrict the display of Pride flags in government-run schools. The bill is now poised for a final decision in the state Senate, which has already angered progressives.

The bill was passed by the GOP-dominated House on Monday and is expected to be taken up by the Senate later this week.

A bill that would largely ban displaying pride flags in public school classrooms was passed by the GOP-led Tennessee House on Monday after Republicans cut a heated debate short.

The 70-24 vote sends the legislation to the Senate, where a final vote could happen as early as this week. The motion to cut off debate prompted Democratic Rep. Justin Jones, of Nashville, to yell that House Speaker Cameron Sexton was out of order and ignoring people’s requests to speak. Republicans in turn scolded Jones by voting him out of order, halting his immediate comments.

Before that, at least two people against the bill were kicked out of the gallery due to talking over the proceedings as Democrats and other opponents blasted the legislation as unfairly limiting a major symbol of the LGBTQ+ community in schools.

“I am proud when I walk into the public schools in my city, to see the LGBTQ flag in the classrooms, proudly put up by teachers who understand the suffering that many of their students go through,” said Rep. Jason Powell, a Nashville Democrat. “We should be welcoming and celebrating our students, not hating on them.”

If passed, the measure would prohibit government-run schools from displaying any flag except the United States flag, the Tennessee state flag, or flags representing Native American tribes, city, county, or metropolitan governments. Flags for military units are also allowed.

By way of enforcement, the bill allows parents and guardians to file lawsuits against schools that violate the new guidelines, which gives people another way to push back against efforts to indoctrinate students into progressive ideas on gender identity and sexuality.

State Rep. Gino Bulso, the bill’s sponsor, defended the legislation, referring to parents complaining about the presence of “political flags” in the classroom. “What we’re doing is making sure parents are the ones who are allowed to instill in their children the values they want to instill,” he said.

Of course, not everyone is happy about the proposal.

Critics insist that the bill would infringe on the right to free speech, particularly for LGBTQ students and members of staff. The American Civil Liberties Union has also lashed out at the policy.

Earlier this month, the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to town, school, and school district officials who have implemented or are considering flag bans or other pride displays. The group warned that under First Amendment court precedent, “public schools may prohibit private on-campus speech only insofar as it substantially interferes with or disrupts the educational environment, or interferes with the rights of other students.”

The proposed flag ban is more than a state matter; it reflects the persistent debate over issues pertaining to how gender identity and sexuality should be handled in government-run schools. On the progressive side, advocates have gone far beyond the notion that kids should be taught to be tolerant of other people’s views and lifestyles. In 2024, they are part of a wholesale effort to ram their ideology down our throats using the government. However, bills such as this will only make it harder for the hard left to leverage education to brainwash children.