Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Advances Toward Final Vote – Still Forces Schools to Out LGBTQ Students to Parents
The Florida House held a contentious debate on the dangerously anti-LGBTQ “Don’t Say Gay” bill Tuesday afternoon, and despite numerous reports, one of the bill’s core tenets – outing LGBTQ+ children to parents – remains intact.
After massive nationwide outrage the bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Joe Harding (photo), withdrew his amendment that would have forced schools who had determined it would be dangerous to a student’s well-being to be outed to their parents to effectively give the school six weeks to divide a plan to tell parents.
The outing would still have been required, just with a delay. But the legislation, HB 1557, still clearly requires schools to out students, by “notifying a student’s parent if there is a change in the student’s services or monitoring related to the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being and the school’s ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for the student.” That language, exceptionally and intentionally broad, is in the main bill.
It has not changed, despite misleading media reports trumpeting the amendment was withdrawn. Schools can, according to the current text of the legislation, still on a case-by-case basis, decide to not out a student if they feel it could endanger the student at home.
