Right now, the law requires public libraries and school districts that take E-rate funds to filter content. This means that a local IT department, administration, or board has wide discretion about what content they want to filter. In some places, school districts and libraries use this ability to block useful and potentially life-saving LGBTQIA+ resources - resources that are not sexually explicit - based on opinion and/or biases. Sites like The Trevor Project and PFLAG should not be blocked because of personal biases or so-called community norms.
We are calling on Congress to pass the Don't Block LGBTQ Act of 2020 to address this filtering problem and to ensure proper protections for minors from harmful content. The Don't Block LGBTQ Act of 2020 would prohibit elementary schools, secondary schools, or libraries that receive discount rates for telecommunications services under the universal service support program from blocking Internet access to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer resources. The Act clarifies that schools and libraries that block LGBTQ resources are not eligible for discounted rates under the E-rate program. This bill does not prevent schools from blocking obscene and other explicit content that could be harmful to minors, as current law intends.
Please join us in asking Congress to pass this important legislation this session. It's easy to send an email to your elected officials and make your voice heard. Help fix this discriminatory and potentially harmful situation.