On Thursday, May 21, House Republicans on the Committee on Education and the Workforce advanced the “Civics and History Advancement to Restore Learning, Integrity, and Education Act” (HR 8705), also known as the CHARLIE Act. The bill has quickly drawn criticism from advocates, educators, and Democratic lawmakers, who warn it could erase critical aspects of American history from federally funded education programs—particularly the histories of transgender people and systemic racism.
The CHARLIE Act would prohibit American history and civics programs that receive federal funding from promoting what it calls “gender ideology” and “discriminatory equity ideology.” The bill adopts language from executive orders signed by former President Donald Trump, including definitions that reject the legitimacy of transgender identities.
LGBTQ+ advocates argue that if enacted, the measure would prevent the acknowledgment of transgender people as part of American history in federally funded curricula. Additionally, the bill’s broad restrictions could discourage the teaching of slavery, segregation, Jim Crow laws, and structural racism in classrooms.
Democrats on the Education and Workforce Committee condemned the bill, stating: “Committee Republicans forced through a bill to honor Charlie Kirk, who was known for regressive politics and hateful rhetoric. Specifically, the legislation, H.R. 8705, the CHARLIE Act seeks to restrict funding for programs that prepare educators to teach America’s complete history.”
Rep. Mark Takano, chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus and an openly gay member of Congress, called the legislation “censorship masquerading as education policy.” He emphasized that censoring American history does not change what happened, and warned that restricting discussions of racism and trans identity risks erasing marginalized communities from the national narrative.
The advancement of the CHARLIE Act comes as part of a wider Republican effort to target LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools across the United States. As the bill moves forward, its opponents argue that honest and inclusive history education is essential to understanding—and improving—the nation as a whole.
“The CHARLIE Act would change a federal civics and American history grant program. It says grant money could not be used for what the bill calls “discriminatory equity ideology” or “gender ideology,” and it would stop the Department of Education from giving grant priority based on race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or immigration status. Supporters would likely argue that federal civics money should teach American history and government without political indoctrination or identity-based preferences.”
“The concern is that the bill uses broad definitions borrowed from executive orders, rather than carefully defining exactly what schools or grant recipients may not do. Because history and civics often involve topics like slavery, civil rights, women’s rights, immigration, constitutional equality, and modern debates over gender identity, schools and nonprofits might avoid legitimate lessons simply to stay out of trouble. Groups such as PEN America and the American Civil Liberties Union have raised similar concerns about the executive-order framework behind this bill, warning that it can chill classroom speech and remove important materials.”
“The bill probably would not affect most students directly because it applies to a narrow grant program, not all school funding. But for the schools, nonprofits, and teachers that use these grants, it could reshape what gets taught or funded. The predicted overall impact is mildly negative: the bill addresses a real concern about keeping taxpayer-funded civics education fair and nonpartisan, but it does so in a vague way that could discourage accurate and complete history and civics education.”
Articles
- Equality Caucus Condemns Advancement of Racist, Anti-Equality Censorship Bill
- In Memory of Charlie Kirk, Committee Republicans Vote to Restrict What History Can Be Taught in Classrooms
- House Republicans advance education bill restricting discussions on racism & gender
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