Florida Expands 'Don't Say Gay' Bill to All Grade Levels

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Facts

  • The Florida Board of Education on Wednesday approved an expansion of the Parental Rights in Education law, dubbed the "Don’t Say Gay" bill by opponents, to restrict teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through 12th grade.1
  • The law bans such topics from the classroom unless expressly required by state academic standards or as part of optional reproductive health lessons, with teachers who violate the restrictions risking their credentials.2
  • This rule change, which was proposed by Ron DeSantis' administration in March, will reportedly take effect after a procedural notice period that lasts about a month, and adds grades 4 through 12 to the law.3
  • DeSantis has made culture wars a priority in anticipation of a campaign to run for the White House next year. The Florida governor has even engaged in a feud with Disney — one of the state's largest employers — over this legislation.4
  • Education Commissioner Manny Diaz has stated that this update, which comes as part of a push by Florida conservatives against alleged indoctrination in schools, will not affect mental health services available to individual students.5
  • Meanwhile, three other bills affecting the LGBTQ+ community, including bathroom use restrictions and penalties for venues admitting children into adult live performances, were approved by the Florida House on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.6

Sources: 1The Hill, 2Breitbart, 3Al Jazeera, 4Associated Press, 5POLITICO, and 6Tampa Bay Times.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by New York Post. Humans are immensely confused and impressionable, especially in their teenage years, which is why the LGBTQ+ curriculum should not be allowed in any K-12 classroom. Currently, activist teachers are trying to indoctrinate vulnerable young people with sexualized and politically-motivated agendas. Using seemingly inane resources like picture books and toys to brainwash kids into thinking they are transgender — a psychological condition affecting 0.6% of the population — is completely immoral and should be banned.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Guardian. Ron DeSantis is on a crusade to wipe out LGBTQ+ civil, healthcare, and educational rights for both minors and adults. He is determined, not to shield young children from pornography, but rather from the existence of anyone who defies the hetero- and cisnormative ideals of the GOP. Florida has become a hellscape for LBGTQ+ people and their advocates. We can only fear for the future, as it now seems that DeSantis is looking to bring his agenda to the national level by running for president.

Predictions