Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Law Took Effect Today
don't say gay" law.Instruction on gender identity or sexual orientation is forbidden in kindergarten through third grade. In addition, as a result of the law, such instruction cannot take place at any grade level in a manner the state considers neither "age-appropriate nor developmentally appropriate." Now teachers in the state are facing a new, perilous landscape.For example, school officials around Orlando warned educators not to wear rainbow clothing, remove pictures of their same-sex spouses from their desks, and remove LGBTQ+ safe space stickers from classroom doors, said Clinton McCracken, president of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association.
The Orange County school district's legal department reminded teachers to be cautious when interacting with kindergarten through third-grade students about LGBTQ+ issues, said a statement from the teachers association.Brandon Wolf, the press secretary for Equality Florida, told reporters this morning that some messages officials conveyed to teachers are absurd. "They should avoid talking about their families altogether so as not to run afoul of the law," he says officials told them.
The Leon County School Board unanimously approved its "LGBTQ Inclusive School Guide" after an extended debate on Tuesday night, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.
The document includes a provision requiring parents to be notified if their child participates in physical education or goes on an overnight school trip with a person who is "open about their gender identity," "Upon notification or determination of a student who is open about their gender identity, parents of the affected students will be notified of reasonable accommodation options available," according to the policy. "Parents.
