It’s a prohibition on teachers bringing up highly sexualized – borderline pornographic – topics to young kids, and that prohibition is something I would hope we could all be behind.”Ī summary of the bill posted on the Florida House of Representatives’ website states it “prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels” with no indication that the ban is limited to highly sexualized topics.Ī version of the bill before Florida’s Senate bars encouraging “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.” The bill does not set forth what is or isn’t age-appropriate, but it would allow parents to sue schools if they believe teachers are violating the ban. “You have people saying the bill will outlaw conversations about homosexuality in school. “There are so many fake claims being made,” said Jay Richards, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based conservative think tank. Supporters say the initiative is misunderstood by some and distorted by others.
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The Florida bill would have to clear several more legislative votes before DeSantis could sign it into law. LGBTQ children are four times more likely than their peers to attempt suicide before graduating high school.”
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“Policies like this cause social isolation among LGBTQ students and can lead to bullying and violence. “But these political games have real-world consequences for young people, too,” he added. “The bill is cynical – political in nature, designed to help right-wing politicians rally their base before the next election,” said Brandon Wolf, spokesperson for Equality Florida, one of the groups fighting what some have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. A portion of the bill that would ban discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in Florida’s public primary schools has been denounced by LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and/or queer) advocacy groups.
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In Florida, a state legislative panel recently approved the Parental Rights Education Bill, which has the backing of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Does a teacher’s ability to mention sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom pose a threat to primary school students or further a well-rounded, inclusive educational experience? Americans are confronting the question as initiatives advance in several states that would muzzle public school teachers on LGBTQ-related topics.