Florida Lawmakers Advance Homophobia to DeSantis’s Desk
nytimes.comIn a move that gave me a feeling of toxic déjà vu from the anti-gay-marriage Proposition 8 in California in 2008, Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill has passed both houses of the state legislature and is headed to the desk of Gov.
Ron DeSantis, where he is expected to sign it. The legislation is aimed at limiting what can be taught in classrooms about sexual orientation and gender identity, and also gives parents the right to sue schools or teachers if they believe what is being taught is unacceptable.
It reads, in part, that such curriculums “may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” If that sounds almost reasonable on a quick read, don’t be fooled.
It is not. Cynically called Parental Rights in Education, the bill indeed does not explicitly ban the word “gay” from classrooms — as DeSantis has smarmily noted — but that doesn’t change the intent.
