A viral claim circulating on social media stated that Texas declared bringing a pride flag to classrooms a crime, based on a satirical article from Esspots.com. The claim originated from a misleading post that misrepresented satire as real news. The Texas Legislative Reference Library confirmed that there is no evidence of any such declaration or law in the state, and the legislature is not in session until 2025.
While there have been instances of controversy surrounding pride flags and LGBTQ+ visibility in schools, such as a Texas State Senate bill attempting to restrict content related to sexual orientation and gender identity, the claim of a statewide ban on pride flags in classrooms is false. Similar legislation was also proposed in Tennessee but was not passed.
USA TODAY, as well as other fact-checking organizations like Check Your Fact and Full Fact, debunked the claim as false. This situation highlights the issue of “stolen satire,” where satirical content is misrepresented as real news, leading to misinformation and confusion among readers. It is essential to fact-check information before sharing it to avoid spreading false claims.
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