As the 'Don't Say Gay' Law Goes Into Effect, LGBTQ+ Lives Are Erased
Views expressed in The Advocate’s opinion articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The Advocate or our parent company, Equal Pride.Today, Florida's "don't say gay" law goes into effect, and school districts will begin implementing policies to limit discussions about LGBTQ+ people, experiences, and topics in public schools.
This is tantamount to erasure. This bill is a direct attack on the LGBTQ+ community and its allies, and it will have a detrimental impact on the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ+ children in Florida.Unfortunately, we knew of the detrimental impact when this bill was introduced, debated, and pushed through our hyperpartisan legislature in Florida months ago.
This legislation was passed in direct defiance of the hundreds of constituents who traveled to Tallahassee to make their voices heard, the youth who organized marches and protests at their schools, and lastly the parents and LGTBQ+ folks in Florida whose everyday lives now face an increased threat due to state-sanctioned hostility.As the first out Black queer woman to ever hold public office in Florida, I felt the weight of this session and my role in it to speak up, especially when it was clear my Republican colleagues had the intent and votes to pass this harmful legislation.
I wanted history to have a record of this dark time and who stood on the side of justice and equality. More importantly, I wanted to make sure that every concerned child and their family had some reassurance.
