Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Monday that bans sex and gender identity education from kindergarten through third grade, a move that has been criticized nationally by those who say it marginalizes the LGBTQ community.
The move has put Florida and DeSantis, a rising Republican and possible 2024 presidential candidate, at the forefront of America’s culture war. LGBTQ activists, students, Democrats, the entertainment industry and the White House have referred to the initiative as the “Don’t Say Gay” law.
DeSantis and other Republicans have repeatedly said the measure is reasonable and that parents, not teachers, should be in charge of educating their children about sexual orientation and gender identity. The law took effect just days after DeSantis signed a separate initiative potentially restricting which books can remain in elementary school libraries or be used for instruction.
“We will make sure that parents can send their children to school for education, not indoctrination,” DeSantis said to applause before signing the “Parents’ Rights in Education” law during a ceremony at a high school located just outside of Tampa.
The law states: “Classroom instruction by school personnel or others about sexual orientation or gender identity may not take place in kindergarten through third grade or in a manner that is not age or developmentally appropriate. of students according to state standards. Parents will be able to sue school districts for violations.
Reactions arose almost immediately. One of the first to criticize the project was Chasten Buttigieg, husband of federal Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. LGBTQ rights groups have condemned the move, with President Joe Biden calling it “abhorrent.”
As the bill moved through the legislature, celebrities campaigned against it on social media, criticizing it at this year’s Oscars. Florida students walked out and showed up at forums and statehouse halls to demonstrate against the law, often chanting, “We say gay!”
The Walt Disney Company, a company highly influential in Florida politics, has suspended political donations to the entity, and LGBTQ activists working for the company criticized CEO Bob Chapek for what they said was his slow response to speaking out. against the bill. Some walked off the job in protest.
After DeSantis signed the law into law, Disney released a statement saying, “Our goal as a company is to have this law repealed by the legislature or struck down by the courts, and we remain committed to supporting state and national organizations working to get this”.
During debate in the Republican-controlled state House, Democrats said the wording of the law, especially the phrases “in-classroom instruction” and “age-appropriate,” could be interpreted so broadly that bringing it up in any grade level could be cause for lawsuits and create an environment in the classroom where teachers avoid topics altogether.
“The bill’s intentionally vague wording leaves teachers afraid to speak to their students and exposes school districts to frivolous and costly litigation by those seeking to exclude LGBTQ people from any grade level,” the representative said. state Democrat Carlos G. Smith, who is gay. “Worse yet, the law sends a message of hate to our most vulnerable youth who simply need our support.”