Florida Expands 'Don't Say Gay' Bill to K-12 Grades
Do you support the "Don't Say Gay" bill?
What's the story?
- At the request of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Board of Education expanded its "Don't Say Gay" bill to apply to all grades, barring talk of sexual orientation and gender identity.
- These topics can only be discussed as part of opt-in reproductive health instruction. The rule states:
"[Educators] shall not intentionally provide classroom instruction to students in grades four through 12 on sexual orientation or gender identity unless such instruction is either expressly required by state academic standards … or is part of a reproductive health course or health lesson for which a student's parent has the option to have his or her student not attend."
- Parents will be allowed to sue school districts over violations, and educators who violate the law can lose their jobs and have their teaching licenses revoked.
- The proposal will take effect after a one-month procedural notice period. This rule builds on the Parental Rights in Education law that DeSantis signed in March 2022.
DeSantis' culture war
- In his expected bid for the Republican presidential nomination, DeSantis has been waging what critics are calling a "culture war," taking aim at transgender rights, abortion rights, and pushing through tough immigration policies.
- The House has also decided to revoke food and beverage licenses of businesses that admit children to adult performances in their crackdown against drag shows.
- The House passed a bill that will ban people from entering bathrooms that don't correspond to their birth sex and requires public restrooms to be listed as "Men," "Women," or "Unisex."
- DeSantis is also pushing through a ban on gender-affirming care that would allow the state to take "emergency custody" of children whose parents try and get them surgery or medical interventions for their gender dysphoria.
- Additionally, his government is trying to ban pride flags from public buildings and suspend college courses on gender studies and critical race theory.
What are supporters saying?
- Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. believes the expansion will clarify any confusion about what is and is not okay across different grade levels:
"We're not removing anything here. All we are doing is we are setting the expectations so our teachers are clear: that they are to teach to the standards."
"In the image of God, he created them. Male and female, he created them. Folks this is rock solid, irreversible, validated by science and our medical community. Period. You are either male or female. This is not subject to one's opinion. It is demonstrable fact."
What are opponents saying?
"Trans people are already dealing with the feeling of not feeling wanted, not being accepted, not being loved, not belonging. Do we want to treat them like they are worthless? This is a territory that we have no right of stepping into."
"[E]veryone has a sexual orientation and a gender identity. It looks like this rule would make it impossible to do much instruction at all."
- Biden called the 'Don't Say Gay' bill "hateful."
- ABC quoted a teacher who stressed how this would impact student's mental health:
"Please understand, if students do not get their questions answered either by their trusted teachers or by those parents that are willing to talk with our children, they will likely find the answers from their peers or the internet with dubious safety inaccuracy."
Do you support the "Don't Say Gay" bill?
—Emma Kansiz
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The teen suicide rate in Florida (and southern states) is already the highest in the U.S, and LGBTQ youth are 4x more likely to attempt suicide than peers, so this new law will probably increase already high rates in Florida even higher. Politicians are suppose to improve life for constituents, especially children, not make it worse.
1) "Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24 (Hedegaard, Curtin, & Warner, 2018) — and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are at significantly increased risk."
2) "LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers (Johns et al., 2019; Johns et al., 2020)."
3) "The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ youth (13-24) seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S. — and at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds."
4) "The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth."
https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/victims/qa02704.asp?qaDate=2020&text=no&maplink=link1
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/facts-about-lgbtq-youth-suicide/
LGBTQ+ people have existed for as long as human beings have been around. Pretending they don't exist will not make them go away. You can make them hide themselves but you cannot change their fundamental nature. They are as God created them and God doesn't make mistakes. The idea that knowing LGBTQ+ people exist will magically turn our children LGBTQ+ is so ludicrous it's laughable. LGBTQ+ is not a choice, it is an immutable characteristic. (Who would volunteer to be a member of a viciously maligned minority?) This legislation is cruel and harmful to LGBTQ+ children and the children of LGBTQ+ parents. It is also harmful to non LGBTQ+ children because it hides the real world from them and teaches them to hate. All of our children deserve our respect and care. The idea that our children are so fragile that they are incapable of seeing the world as it is offends me. We confront them with the horror of school shootings and conceal the existence of LGBTQ+ people? What sense does that make? Do people have so little respect for their own children that they think them incapable of understanding that some people are different? If we don't impose our own narrow minded prejudices on them, children learn that there are many different kinds of people in the world and that they should all be treated with respect and kindness. However misguided the original "Don't say Gay" legislation was when applied to children up to 3rd grade, it is completely idiotic when extended through the high school years when young people are sexually mature. It is parents who need to grow up and accept that our children will be who they were meant to be and that they are capable of creating a more just world than we have, God willing!
The push by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to restrict gender equality in schools, education and our communities is so misguided.
The religious right and conservatives are gleefully on board with this trend, both in Florida and other states. And it is the tail wagging the dog.
We are promised freedom of religion, and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. All of the anit-LGBT movements here in the United States need to remember we are all Americans and have these rights.
When it comes right down to it Ron DeSantis governor of Florida is a mixture of two things an idiot and a pig.
Here we go again. Stronger attack on our constitutional right to speak our own mind. As long as we harm no one with our voicing our opinions, "free speech" is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Its bad enough that the judges on the Supreme Court and a good many politicians are doing their damnedest to destroy our rights. It forces people to be in fear of what they say and their own opinions. I won't be controlled by any entity that has not lived my life. Take me as I am or leave me be. Problem solved.
100% SUPPORT!!!!!!
As a retired educator and AS AN AMERICAN, I oppose all measures that support hate and diminish the Right of equality and equal Justice for all.
Just another example of Christian hate. The Catholic and all Evangelical churches should lose their tax exempt status and be declared a hate group
I feel this is primarily the responsibility of the people and voters of Florida. It should have been a decision made by a special election ballot in my opinion but in the kingdom of the governor, his rule seems to be supreme.
Just more Christian hate. The Catholic Church would like to go back to the inquisition. Since there is no more separation of church and state, we need to start taxing all churches
Banning things such as abortion, recognition of gay people, recognition of trans people, gay marriage, interracial marriage, books that discuss these topics, courses that study these topics, does not make these things go away. There will always be (and has been) abortion. There will always be (and has been) gay people, there will always be (and has been) trans people, there will always be (and has been) discussion of these topics. You can't make them go away. So stop acting like ostriches with your heads in the sand. And stop interfering with people's lives in such an offensive manner. Why don't you focus on things that really are a problem, like the risk of getting killed with a gun if you decide you want to go to the grocery store, or the pharmacy, or a movie theater, or a mall, or an airport, or a restaurant, or a party.
How ridiculous for questioning youth!
Is Desantos going to put a officer in each class room, cafeteria, auditorium ect... to listen to any one saying this ? Remove the violater for a fine or punishment?
NO ONE SHOULD SAY RON DESANTOS OR HIS CRONIES IN CONGRESS THROUGH THEI VOTING!
NO MORE HATE!
Why is the GOP so hate driven?
Florida is expanding it's "don't say gay" legislature to K-12. Ridiculous. So we are telling the kids that are not heterosexual or who's sexual identity might not match the far right's beliefs that they don't matter. And the Governor of this state wants to be our president. We need more balanced politicians folks, not these far right (or far left) crazies!
History will not look kindly on the likes of DeSantis.
Liberal labels continue to define the conversation. Shame on Causes for continuing to use this misnomer. This bill does not ban anyone from saying gay. Cause just want to continue to stir the pot
This is a foolish policy.
Students are not going to care about this law, and so teachers will be forced to have these discussions any way. I began teaching in 1972 an have never had a year pass in which a student did not initiate a conversation concerning this topic!! Free speech amendment says teachers can have these conversations. These conversations are important to the welfare of the students.
This bill is an abomination which must be put down and not allowed to stand!
This infriges on our "First Amendment Rights'! Funny, how the GOP works to mangle our rights to fit their desires to control us! Just like the badly mangled "Second Amendment" as interpreted by the GOP!
Look up Randy Rainbow's response on YouTube. It's the best and most entertaining response.
how does knowing gay people exist hurt a child?
also, if its sexualizing to know they exist, why isn't it so with hetro couples? should we just tell children the stork makes babies, and the earth is flat, and let them grow up ignorant of reality? will that ''make America great''? a population of uneducated, ignorant morons?