Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Aims To Curtail School Lessons On LGBTQ, Gender
thegailygrind.comFlorida Republicans have introduced a bill that aims to ban the discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity in schools that activists say endangers children and mirrors a prior wave of laws that sought to suppress LGBTQ conversations in the classroom.
Activists have dubbed the measure moving through Florida’s GOP-controlled Statehouse as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. If passed, the measure would “effectively silence students from speaking about their LGBTQ family members, friends, neighbors and icons,” said Kara Gross of the Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
As written, the bill states that school districts “may not encourage classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.” A parent could sue a district for violations.
In a committee hearing, Democrats questioned the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Joe Harding over whether kids would be able to talk freely about LGBTQ people or history. “Harding repeatedly said his bill is meant to give parents more control over what their children learn,” according to the LA Times. “He maintained that it would not silence spontaneous discussions but instead stop a district from integrating such topics into the curriculum.
