BATON ROUGE - Conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity are now banned in Louisiana classrooms because of a new state law that took effect Thursday.

State Rep. Dodie Horton (R-Bossier) authored the law, which critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law. The bill passed the state Senate 28-7.

Horton’s law lays out what is and is not up for classroom conversation. Horton says there’s a time and place to discuss the topics, but that time is not during school hours.

"Our children aren't social projects," Horton said. “They're there to learn what the state has approved as far as our standards.”

According to the Associated Press, the bill reflects similar legislation passed in Florida and 16 other states. Alabama, Arkansas and Kentucky have passed similar laws.

"Maybe I'm old fashioned, and nothing against anybody because don't disrespect anybody. I try to be nice to everybody, but on a subject like that, I think it should be addressed at home," Ella Williams, a concerned citizen, said.

Elisabeth Cherry is a parent of a Baton Rouge student and says conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity are necessary in certain situations.

“There's nothing wrong with having a conversation about same-sex marriages if that's what some people's family units are made up of,” Cherry said, adding that the measure is an over-step by state officials. “It's not the state's place to put restrictions on what kind of topics can be discussed in the classroom.”

With the new school year just days away, it’s unclear how the conversations will be monitored and reprimanded. Horton says the implementation of policies and procedures is up to individual school boards.

Critics also say they worry that more restrictions in the classroom could lead to fewer teachers working in Louisiana.