Amendment To Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Requires Schools To Out Students To Parents Within 6 Weeks
thegailygrind.comA new amendment to Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill would require schools to inform parents of their child’s sexual orientation within six weeks of learning the student isn’t heterosexual, NBC affiliate WFLA reported on Monday.
The amendment was filed Friday by the bill’s Republican co-sponsor, state Rep. Joe Harding. The bill bars educators in Florida from talking about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary schools.
Parents would be able to take legal action against school districts they believe have violated the measure. The original version of the legislation required schools to inform families of their child’s LGBTQ+ status but gave an option for exemption for the outing in cases where educators feared it could lead to abuse, neglect or abandonment.
The new amendment offers no such exception. It instructs school leaders to “develop a plan, using all available governmental resources,” to inform parents about their children’s sexual orientation “through an open dialogue in a safe, supportive, and judgment-free environment that respects the parent-child relationship and protects the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of the student.” Another amendment to HB 1557 notes the potential risks that outing them could have on Florida students.
