Lawmakers at the Florida House of Representatives have passed a bill dubbed by critics as “Don’t Say Gay” to their Senate counterparts for approval.
This bill– entitled “Parental Rights in Education”– prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in Florida primary schools.
The bill– which the House voted 69-47 in favor of– is expected to pass the Republican-held Senate.
Meanwhile, Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican who has previously aired his support for the legislation, is also expected to sign it into law.
‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill draws outrage
Republican Rep. Joe Harding, who introduced the bill, told legislators on the House floor this was about “empowering parents” and improving the quality of life of Florida state children.
Harding also repeatedly said that the bill wouldn’t prohibit students from discussing their LGBTQ families or talk about LGBTQ history in the classroom.
Many have already expressed their outrage over the bill, from the White House to Hollywood celebrities.
President Joe Biden earlier vowed he would fight to protect LGBTQ youth in the wake of Florida’s controversial bill.
Critics said the broad language of the bill would allow possible lawsuits from parents who consider any LGBTQ discussion as inappropriate.
Democrat Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who is also gay, said in a speech at the House floor: “This bill goes way beyond the text on its page.”
“It sends a terrible message to our youth that there is something so wrong, so inappropriate, so dangerous about this topic that we have to censor it from classroom instruction,” Smith declared.
Effects of the bill on LGBTQ kids
Amit Paley, the CEO and executive director of The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ youth suicide prevention and intervention group, warned of the bill’s effects on LGBTQ youth.
“Lawmakers should be supporting LGBTQ students and their families and encouraging schools to be inclusive, not pitting parents against teachers and erasing the LGBTQ community from public education,” Paley said.
Human Rights Watch, the LGBTQ rights advocacy group, said in an earlier statement that this bill sends a “discriminatory message that being LGBT is inappropriate or wrong.”
“That message not only stigmatizes LGBT children but can tacitly encourage intolerance and bullying from peers from a young age,” they said.
Likewise, Democrat Rep. Michael Grieco, told fellow lawmakers: “Anybody who says that this bill is only about kindergarten through third grade is either mistaken or flat-out lying.”
What is the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill?
According to the HRW, the bill would restrict discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity, and even banning them in primary schools and in other grades that are “not age-appropriate.”
“However, it does not specify what would be considered age-appropriate, or who decides. Any parent could sue their child’s school for compensation for alleged harm if they believe those discussions have occurred,” they warned.
They added that the proposed law would likely deter teachers from addressing LGBTQ issues and hinder open discussions and support for LGBTQ students.
What’s more, the bill requires school personnel to notify parents of changes in a student’s physical, mental, or emotional health.
This would limit the ability of counselors and teachers to be a confidential resource for LGBTQ students.