WTF Is Going On in Alabama?
The flood of anti-LGBTQ+, pro-Christian nationalist laws isn’t random. It’s a blueprint.
At first, I shrugged. Just another headline about Alabama doing Alabama things. Then another popped up. And another. In just one week, the Alabama legislature had banned pride flags in schools, extended “Don’t Say Gay” through 12th grade, approved chaplains for public classrooms, and mandated the Ten Commandments be posted in every school. Then they silenced Senate Democrats to speed it all through.
It turns out that Alabama isn’t just being Alabama. It’s being something more strategic and far more dangerous: a testing ground for the next wave of conservative culture war legislation. And if these laws hold up in court and avoid massive public backlash, they won’t stay in Alabama for long.
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The Alabama Five: A Snapshot of Policy Export
To understand what’s going on, let’s take a closer look at five major bills passed (or advanced) in rapid succession by Alabama lawmakers. Each one reflects a broader national push, and similar versions have already appeared in other GOP-led states.
Bill by Bill: What These Laws Do and Why It Matters
1. Ten Commandments in Classrooms
HB 71 mandates that all public classrooms in Alabama display the Ten Commandments, claiming they’re foundational to American law. In reality, this blurs the line between church and state. Similar legislation has passed in Texas and Louisiana and closely mirrors language promoted by the Heritage Foundation.
2. “Don’t Say Gay” Expansion
HB 244 extends Alabama’s previous law to ban any mention of sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through high school graduation. It also explicitly bans pride flags in classrooms. This bill mirrors Florida’s initial law and similar ones in Iowa, Indiana, and Arkansas.
3. Chaplains in Public Schools
HB 179 allows schools to bring in volunteer religious chaplains to support students. The bill requires only a background check and no mental health or professional training. Texas and Florida have already passed similar bills with backing from Christian nationalist groups.
4. Drag Restrictions
A section of HB 244 prohibits drag performances in public schools and libraries without parental consent. This tactic has appeared in Tennessee and Montana, targeting LGBTQ+ culture under the guise of “child protection.”
5. Ending Legislative Debate
Senate Republicans invoked cloture to cut off Democratic debate and ram these bills through. It’s a rare maneuver in Alabama, but echoes similar strategies used in Missouri and Texas to push through controversial laws, including voter restrictions.
We’ve reported previously on the right’s efforts to weaponize faith here:
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A Coordinated Campaign, Not Local Chaos
So, how does this much legislation emerge so quickly and look so similar to bills across the country?
Because it’s designed to.
Who’s Writing These Bills?
Local lawmakers and a national network of conservative organizations drive this legislative push. Each group plays a role in a system designed to create, defend, and spread these policies across state lines.
“ALEC writes the legislative MadLibs, the Heritage Foundation cheers it on, Alliance Defending Freedom and Liberty Counsel prep it for court, and Moms for Liberty spins it for the school board meeting. It’s not chaos—it’s choreography.”
The Infrastructure
ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council): Drafts model bills, distributes them at conferences, and coordinates with state legislators to introduce near-verbatim versions nationwide.
Heritage Foundation: Provides ideological cover, policy research, and media framing. Tied closely to Project 2025, Heritage is pushing to embed its worldview into both federal and state systems.
Alliance Defending Freedom & Liberty Counsel: Offer legal strategy and court defense. Their goal is often not just to win locally, but to force cases into the federal system, hoping to trigger precedent-setting rulings.
Moms for Liberty & Family Policy Alliance: Handle messaging and grassroots mobilization. Their “parental rights” framing floods local school boards and social media with emotional pressure to pass these laws.
This is the conservative policy pipeline at work. Alabama is its current point of entry.
What Happens in Alabama Doesn’t Stay in Alabama
Dismiss it as “just Alabama,” and you miss the bigger picture. These bills are test cases run in states with GOP supermajorities, conservative courts, and little national media coverage.
If they pass legal muster and the backlash stays quiet, they’re scaled up. Alabama becomes Texas, and Texas becomes the country.
These legislative efforts are centered on public education. That’s no accident. See our reporting on the threats to the institution here:
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What You Can Do
You don’t need to live in Alabama to fight what’s coming next.
Track Legislation: Use LegiScan or OpenStates.org to follow bills in your state.
Watch the Courts: Groups like the ACLU and Lambda Legal are monitoring and challenging these bills in court.
Run for School Board (or Show Up): These laws often begin at the local level. Change starts in your community.
Expose the Blueprint: Call it out when you see similar language in your state. These bills are not organic—they’re manufactured.
Share the Knowledge: The more people understand how these laws are spreading, the more difficult it will be to pass them quietly.
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Bibliography:
Holmes, Jacob. "House Passes Bill Requiring Ten Commandments in Schools." Alabama Political Reporter, April 18, 2025.
Yeager, Andrew. "Lawmakers Advance Religious Bills Including School Ten Commandments Displays." WBHM, April 18, 2025.
ACLU of Alabama. "HB 244 – Classroom Censorship and Restrictions on LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Schools." ACLU of Alabama, March 4, 2025.
Holmes, Jacob. "House Passes Bill to Expand 'Don't Say Gay' Law Through 12th Grade." Alabama Political Reporter, April 18, 2025.
ACLU of Alabama. "HB 179 - Allowing Volunteer Chaplains in Public Schools." ACLU of Alabama, March 2025.
Alabama Legislature. "HB179 Introduced." Alabama Legislature, 2025.
ACLU. "Why Allowing Chaplains in Public Schools Harms Students." ACLU, March 15, 2024.
Alabama Reflector. "Alabama House Passes 'Don't Say Gay' Expansion, Drag Performance Restrictions." Alabama Reflector, April 18, 2025.
The Advocate. "Alabama House Passes Three Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills in One Day." The Advocate, April 18, 2025.
Alabama Reflector. "Tensions Rise Between Alabama Senate, House Over Pace of Bill Passage." Alabama Reflector, April 16, 2025.
1819 News. "With Seven Legislative Days Remaining, Senate Republicans Cloture Democrat Counterparts to Pass Six Conservative Bills." 1819 News, April 18, 2025.
National Education Association. "How Project 2025 Would Devastate Public Education." NEA, October 2024.
Civil Rights. "Project 2025: What's At Stake for Education." The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, August 2024.
GLAAD. "Moms for Liberty Uses False and Inflammatory Language to Vilify LGBTQ People." GLAAD, March 2024.
SPLC. "Moms for Liberty." Southern Poverty Law Center, 2024.
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This is alarming and disturbing 😳
10 commandments in classroom !?
Your not even reals Christians... you hate the people who are not like you
YOU'RE A JOKE