Chasten Buttigieg: Florida’s Proposed Anti-LGBTQ Bill ‘Will Kill Kids’
The Hill.Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, called out Florida Gov.
Ron DeSantis for creating a worse environment for queer youth.“This will kill kids,” he said. “You are purposefully making your state a harder place for LGBTQ kids to survive in.” Buttigieg cited a recent survey by the Trevor Project, an LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization, which found 42 percent of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.“The Trevor Project’s research has found that LGBTQ youth who learned about LGBTQ issues or people in classes at school had 23% lower odds of reporting a suicide attempt in the past year.
This bill will erase young LGBTQ students across Florida, forcing many back into the closet by policing their identity and silencing important discussions about the issues they face,” said Sam Ames, the group’s director of advocacy and government affairs, in a statement. “LGBTQ students deserve their history and experiences to be reflected in their education, just like their peers.”Florida LGBTQ+ rights group Equality Florida quickly condemned the bill.“Governor DeSantis’ march toward his own personal surveillance state continues.
Today, the Don’t Say Gay bill, a piece of legislation to erase discussion of LGBTQ people from schools in Florida, passed its first committee and became another component of an agenda designed to police us in our classrooms, doctor’s offices, and workplaces,” Brandon Wolf, Equality Florida’s press secretary said in an email to The Los Angeles Blade.“Make no mistake — LGBTQ people are your neighbors, family members, and friends.
