Fact-check: Is Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Bill About Sex Ed & Sex Acts?
through Chasten Buttigieg's criticisms, it's led to a staunch debate and a series of protests and walkouts by Florida students, civil rights groups, and faith-based organizations.Proponents of HB 1557 and SB 1834 — the House and Senate versions of the bill — argue that if passed, they would restrict inappropriate conversations about sex in classes.
As it heads to the desk of Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who has signaled he will sign the legislation into law, we break down the facts. What does the bill actually say?Since first being submitted, the "don't say gay" bills have had 37 amendments with only two passing.
The most hotly debated aspect of HB 1557 mandates this:"Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in according with state standards."Doesn't this mean the Parental Rights in Education bill is about sex acts in grades K - 3?No.
As it stands, the proposed legislation never mentions sexual acts or sexual education. In fact, when Republican Senator Jeff Brandes submitted an amendment to alter the text so that it banned all classroom discussion in K-3 about sex acts, his Republican colleagues voted him down.Governor Ron DeSantis's spokesperson Christina Pushaw made headlines over the weekend when she framed it as an "anti-grooming" bill and accused critics of being groomers.
