A new ad, “My Heroes,” shows the negative effect that Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill could have on children with same-sex parents.
The ad, by Equality Florida, is running in Tallahassee on CNN, Fox, and MSNBC. In it, a White student stands up to read a report on “My Heroes,” but when she says they are her moms, a klaxon sounds and a red light flashes, warning the class that only state-approved topics are allowed. The teacher, a Black woman, tells her she “should be proud,” and to “go ahead.” The girl takes a breath in, but in the background, we hear an intercom summoning the teacher to the front office.
Yes, the alarm and light are exaggerated, but perhaps not much. The Parental Rights in Education bill, known by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill (SB 1834/HB 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.” It does not specify what “developmentally appropriate” means, nor what it means for a teacher to “encourage” such discussion. It could be read as including students of any grade, as Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando), a gay member of the Florida Legislature, told the Tampa Bay Times.
Visit the new Free to Say Gay website for ways you can take action against this bill, which passed a Florida Senate committee last week, and against the Stop Woke Act (HB 7/SB 148), which would effectively ban teaching (and also corporate and nonprofit diversity training) that includes concepts like privilege and oppression based on race, color, sex, or national origin.
Four states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas) already have “Don’t Say Gay” legislation in place. Another five (Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Montana, and Tennessee) have legislation requiring parental notification and the opportunity to opt out of LGBTQ-inclusive curricula, per the Movement Advancement Project.