2025 Lavender Rights Project Legislative Tracker
Action 1: Message Legislators (Links and script below)
Action 2: Make a video, tag Washington House and Senate Democrats, use #safetyact #protect2025 #waleg
Action 1:
HB 1296 — “The Safety Act” — Protecting Trans students + Educators
TAKE ACTION: MESSAGE LEGISLATORS
SB 5180/5181/5179 — Protecting Trans students + educators
TAKE ACTION: MESSAGE LEGISLATORS
HB 1479 — Ensuring Civic Engagement for incarcerated individuals
TAKE ACTION: MESSAGE LEGISLATORS
Updated 2/1/2025
QUICK BILL SUMMARIES:
Promoting Supportive Schools (HB 1296): This bill amends I-2081 and strengthens students’ rights to privacy, extending protections for trans youth, and adding a new statement of student rights.
Amending I-2081 (SB 5181): This bill confirms students’ right to privacy by allowing medical and counseling records to be kept private, rather than accessible to parents without the student’s consent, which was unclear in the original I-2081.
School District Compliance (SB 5179): This bill aims to ensure that all school boards follow the state anti-discrimination policies to expand student protections.
Inclusive Schools (SB 5180): This bill states that school policies must ensure students have the right to be addressed by their preferred name and pronouns, participate in sports and activities aligned with their gender, and dress accordingly. Additionally, school staff and contractors are prohibited from disclosing a student's sexual orientation or gender identity without their consent.
Optional Resources:
Copy and Paste this into a new email.
Change any of the bold parts before sending.
Subject Line: Support SB 5181, SB 5180, and HB 1296 to protect schools and students
Body:
My name is [Name] I am a constituent of [Your Legislative District] legislative district. I’m emailing to urge your support of SB 5181,SB 5180, and HB 1296 that will create supportive, inclusive, and safe schools which all our youth deserve!
Please pass the following bills:
Amending I-2081 (SB 5181): In its original form, I-2081 undermines student privacy by granting parents access to counseling and medical records, assuming all homes are safe—a dangerous fallacy. Its vague language and lack of implementation guidance risk violating existing student protections. SB 5181 corrects these flaws, aligning I-2081 with laws protecting vulnerable youth and ensuring access to trusted school adults for disclosing abuse, neglect, or other experiences. This is especially crucial for LGBTQ+ students who may face rejection at home, as school confidentiality can be life-saving.
Promoting Supportive Schools (HB 1296): This bill amends I-2081 and strengthens student privacy rights, bolsters protections for transgender and gender-expansive students, guarantees access to inclusive curricula, and shields educators supporting student rights from retaliation. It also expands enrollment access for all families, regardless of immigration status or housing, and strengthens school accountability for safety and equity policies. Supporting this bill is crucial for creating safe, affirming, and equitable learning environments for all Washington students.
Inclusive Schools (SB 5180): This bill builds more inclusive schools by expanding resources and training for educators to affirm all students, especially transgender and gender-expansive youth. It establishes key protections, including the right to be addressed by preferred names and pronouns, participate in gender-aligned activities, and dress consistent with their identity. It also protects the confidentiality of students' sexual orientation and gender identity.
Our kids are our future. Please don’t let them grow up with the legacy of our generation’s hatred and mistakes. They deserve a world where they can thrive in safety, dignity, and respect – and it’s our responsibility to make that a reality.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
————— ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
ACTION 2:
Social Media/Video Suggestions:
Any and all social media that you want directed at this discussion in Olympia should have #waleg, #safetyact, #protect2025
Here are our House Democrats social media accounts you can follow, share, and support with your comments.
Bluesky: @housedemocrats.wa.gov https://bsky.app/profile/housedemocrats.wa.gov
Instagram: wahousedems https://www.instagram.com/wahousedems/
Threads: wahousedems https://www.threads.net/@wahousedems
Facebook: Washington House Democrats https://www.facebook.com/WAHouseDems
TW/X: @WAHouseDemshttps://x.com/WAHouseDems
Video Testimony Examples:
Video of Rep. Stonier introducing the bill. (About 7 minutes) The first two minutes are Stonier’s remarks, the rest is the questions members had, some signalling their negativity.
Videos of testimonies in support of HB 1296
Howell Hull and Albert Johnson (Students impacted personally by the foundation of HB 1296; about 3 minutes) https://www.tvw.org/watch/?clientID=9375922947&eventID=2025011411&startStreamAt=5980&stopStreamAt=6140
Briar Moreno (Individual outed by school staff, significantly impacted Briar’s life; about 1.5 minutes) https://www.tvw.org/watch/?clientID=9375922947&eventID=2025011411&startStreamAt=6160&stopStreamAt=6255
Dr. Tracy Castro Gill (Advocates for both teachers and students to be protected under HB 1296; about 2 minutes) https://www.tvw.org/watch/?clientID=9375922947&eventID=2025011411&startStreamAt=6825&stopStreamAt=6940
Samantha Fogg (Co-president of the Seattle Council PTSA, represents over 80 PTAs and fully supports the protections provided in HB 1296, about 1.5 minutes)
Courtney Norman (WA Director at Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, about 1.5 minutes) https://www.tvw.org/watch/?clientID=9375922947&eventID=2025011411&startStreamAt=7035&stopStreamAt=7185
What Would House Bill 1296 Do for Schools in Washington?
For Students:
Ensures student safety, access to education, and privacy are prioritized in school policies
Strengthens policies to support transgender and gender-expansive students, including addressing bullying and harassment and ensuring gender-inclusive practices
Ensures students have access to accurate, diverse, and inclusive curriculum, to support students feeling seen and valued
Prevents a school or parent from protesting student learning about topics like the Civil Rights movement, race/racism, LGBTQ2S identities, etc.
Establishes a Statement of Student Rights, ensuring students know their rights, including access to a free public education, freedom of speech and religion, and protections against discrimination
For Parents and Families:
Expands rights for enrolling children in public schools regardless of immigration status, housing or disabilities
Ensures access to bilingual education, special education, and language services
For Educators:
Introduces anti-retaliation protections for teachers and staff who support students' legal rights, teach state-mandated standards, and use inclusive, culturally representative materials.
Provides guidance and training on supporting transgender and gender-expansive students, with mandatory compliance rules for schools by 2026.
Additional Protections:
Strengthens enforcement by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), allowing sanctions for noncompliance with safety, privacy, and equity policies.
Includes an emergency clause, making these changes effective immediately to prioritize student safety and equity in public education.