A Florida Senate committee passed a bill this week that would quash discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in classrooms and could out LGBTQ students to parents. President Biden quickly condemned it and expressed his support for LGBTQI+ youth. Here’s what’s happening, and how you can help fight this bill, too.
The Parental Rights in Education bill, known by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill (Senate Bill 1834 and House Bill 1557), says that “A school district 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.”
What exactly is “developmentally appropriate”? The bill doesn’t specify—and that’s just one of its deep flaws. As Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando), a gay member of the Florida Legislature, told the Tampa Bay Times, the phrase “primary grade levels or…” could be also interpreted so the bill applies not only to primary school students, but also to students of any grade.
Equality Florida, the state’s primary LGBTQ advocacy group, explained in a statement: “This legislation is meant to stigmatize LGBTQ people, isolate LGBTQ kids, and make teachers fearful of providing a safe, inclusive classroom. The existence of LGBTQ students and parents is not a taboo topic that has to be regulated by the Florida Legislature.”
The bill also requires that schools must notify a student’s parent about any changes “related to the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being.” Parental involvement in students’ lives is usually a good thing, and there are few who would argue with the bill’s stated purpose to “reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children.” BUT. Making parental notification an absolute requirement like this could result in LGBTQ students being outed to their parents, which in some unfortunate cases could actually endanger the students’ well-being and safety.
The bill also allows parents to sue school districts that violate any of its provisions.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has indicated his support for the bill and said it was “entirely inappropriate” for teachers and school administrators to talk with students about their gender identity, reported CNN. He said at a press event Monday that “Schools need to be teaching kids to read, to write. They need to teach them science, history. We need more civics and understanding of the U.S. Constitution, what makes our country unique, all those basic things.”
I have no idea how he thinks schools teach U.S. history, the Constitution, and civics (which includes respect for fellow citizens) without including the contributions of LGBTQ people to U.S. history as well as how the Constitution has been repeatedly interpreted to protect LGBTQ people. As far as what makes our country unique? I had thought it was liberty and justice for all, but maybe I’m misremembering from my own primary education.
President Biden responded to Gov. DeSantis’s statement with a tweet saying, “I want every member of the LGBTQI+ community — especially the kids who will be impacted by this hateful bill — to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are. I have your back, and my Administration will continue to fight for the protections and safety you deserve.”
A White House statement Tuesday expanded on this, noting:
Every parent hopes that our leaders will ensure their children’s safety, protection, and freedom. Today, conservative politicians in Florida rejected those basic values by advancing legislation that is designed to target and attack the kids who need support the most – LGBTQI+ students, who are already vulnerable to bullying and violence just for being themselves. But make no mistake – this is not an isolated action. Across the country, we’re seeing Republican leaders take actions to regulate what students can or cannot read, what they can or cannot learn, and most troubling, who they can or cannot be….
Just imagine what it would feel like to be a kid watching the leaders in your state bully you through legislation that tries to erase your existence. These types of attacks are the root cause of the mental health crisis that too many LGBTQI+ children face.
Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida (and also a mom), added in a statement, “DeSantis is taking a page from Anita Bryant’s playbook, using anti-LGBTQ legislation as a springboard to serve his national political ambitions. From banning books and electronic monitoring of teachers to white-washing history and allowing the state to dictate our health care decisions, DeSantis is committed to an agenda of censorship and surveillance that intrudes on all aspects of our lives.”
The bill must be pass two more Florida Senate committees and the full Senate, per CBS News. If it makes it through, it then goes to the House.
Want to help fight this bill? If you live in Florida, contact your legislators, which you can easily do via the ACLU Florida website. If you don’t live there, ask friends and family who do to contact their legislators. Follow Equality Florida on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Join their daily virtual phone banks to call Equality Florida members and pro-equality voters, or visit their new Free to Say Gay website for other ways you can take action. If your means allow, support them with a monetary donation.