DeSantis signs Florida 'Don't Say Gay' bill
Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed the so-called Don't Say Gay bill Monday, March 28, which is almost certain to prompt lawsuits as opponents question the legality of legislation they see as harmful and discriminatory.At a news conference, DeSantis said teaching kindergarten-aged kids that "they can be whatever they want to be" was "inappropriate.""It's not something that's appropriate for any place, but especially not in Florida," he said.House Bill 1557, titled "Parental Rights in Education," will not allow classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3, while "age-appropriate" teaching would be allowed in older grades — though it is not clear what is considered "age-appropriate." The bill would also allow parents to sue schools or teachers who violate the legislation.When the measure cleared the Florida Legislature earlier this month, statewide LGBTQ+ rights organization Equality Florida promised it would "lead legal action against the state of Florida to challenge this bigoted legislation.""We will not sit by and allow the governor's office to call us pedophiles," the group said in a statement.DeSantis' signature comes after nationwide pushback from top LGBTQ+ organizations, Democrats, LGBTQ+ youth, corporations, and the White House.
According to Equality Florida, over 600,000 people sent emails to lawmakers in opposition to the legislation.DeSantis also pushed back against critics of the legislation, saying: "I don't care what Hollywood says.
