Florida approv ntroversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law polil w for DeSantis - POLITICO

Contents:

• HERE'S WHAT FLORIDA'S 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL WOULD DO AND WHAT WOULDN'T DO
• ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL: FLORIDA SENATE PASS LAW MARGALIZG LGBTQ+ PEOPLE
• FLORIDA'S ERNOR SIGNS NTROVERSIAL LAW OPPONENTS DUBBED 'DON'T SAY GAY'
• FLORIDA JT PASSED THE "DON'T SAY GAY" BILL. HERE’S WHAT IT MEANS FOR KIDS
• WHAT EXACTLY IS FLORIDA’S NEW ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ LAW?
• 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL BE LAW FLORIDA, BANNG SEXUAL ORIENTATN STCTN OM K-3
• AS FLORIDA'S 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW TAK EFFECT, SCHOOLS ROLL OUT LGBTQ RTRICTNS
• FLORIDA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ LAW TAK EFFECT TODAY. ITS IMPACT IS ALREADY BEG FELT
• WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT FLORIDA'S NEW 'DON'T SAY GAY' RULE THAT BANS DISCSN OF GENR FOR ALL STUNTS
• HOW FLORIDA'S 'DON’T SAY GAY' LAW HARMS LGBTQ+ STUNTS AND TEACHERS
• DESANTIS-BACKED 'DONT SAY GAY' BILL SPARKS OUTRAGE
• TRANS LEGISLATOR: LGBTQ MUNY WON'T SURRENR TO FLORIDA'S ANTI-GAY LAWS

HERE'S WHAT FLORIDA'S 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL WOULD DO AND WHAT WOULDN'T DO

But Florida’s Parental Rights Edutn act — which crics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — has sudnly sparked a natnal war of recent weeks, lears of global rporatns, edorial boards of major newspapers and Hollywood actors have all weighed on the proposed legislatn, wh some llg “eply disturbg” and others “nonntroversial.

” Conversely, opponents say would unfairly target the LGBTQ muny — particularly gay and trans stunts — and is “pretendg to solve a problem that don’t exist. For starters, cricism that the “Don’t Say Gay” bill do not fact say “gay” anywhere s text is te.

The bill, which passed Florida’s Senate last week and the state’s Hoe of Reprentativ Febary, do, however, nta the terms “sexual orientatn” and “genr inty, ” each legal experts say that whether the bill prohibs the word “gay” self is a “distractn. “The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ moniker is a moniker about a certa polil amg of this suatn.

‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL: FLORIDA SENATE PASS LAW MARGALIZG LGBTQ+ PEOPLE

”Beyond brandg, a re argument over the bill centers around whether would prohib the “stctn” or “discsn” of sexual bill’s sponsors have emphatilly stated that the bill would not prohib stunts om talkg about their LGBTQ fai or bar classroom discsns about LGBTQ history, cludg events like the 2016 adly attack on the Pulse nightclub, a gay club Orlando. Ron DeSantis's sk, addg to a list of anti-gay polici on his rume as he prepar to n for Print.The Hoe also approved a bathroom bill that would require dividuals to e genr-signated rtroom facili based on the genr on their birth certifite stead of their genr inty. The bills passed the same day that the state's board of tn approved a measure expandg the state's "don't say gay" law up until high school graduatn.

From Your Se Articl'Thunrdome of Hate': Florida Hoe Debat Slew of Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills ›Florida Stunts Plan Walkout to Prott Edutn Rtrictns This Friday ›Homophobic DeSantis Campaign Staffer Cheers at LGBTQ+ Fai Fleeg Florida ›Florida Bs Displays Homophobic Slur on Sign Over Memorial Day Weekend ›. The Republin-domated Florida legislature passed a bill on Tuday which would forbid stctn on sexual orientatn and genr inty krgarten through third gra, rejectg a wave of cricism om Democrats that margaliz LGBTQ+ proposal, which opponents have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, now mov to the sk of the Republin ernor, Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign to s ceptn, the measure has drawn tense opposn om LGBTQ+ advot, stunts, Democrats, the Whe Hoe and the entertament dtry, amid creased attentn on Florida as Republins ph culture war legislatn and DeSantis ascends the GOP as a potential printial ndidate.

Dozens of stunts and advot flood mtee rooms durg the early stag of the bill procs and then packed the halls of the legislature as moved toward fal passage, often wh chants of “We say gay! DeSantis has chafed at llg the proposal the “Don’t Say Gay” bill bee he said would apply to stctn on any genr inty or sexual orientatn. The bill, which some opponents have lled "Don't Say Gay, " was signed by DeSantis on Monday.

FLORIDA'S ERNOR SIGNS NTROVERSIAL LAW OPPONENTS DUBBED 'DON'T SAY GAY'

The "Don't Say Gay" moniker om crics of the measure who blast this ia and sist this policy will hurt LGBTQ children. "Florida's HB 1557, also known as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed to law, " the statement read.

The Florida Senate passed the ntroversial so-lled “Don’t Say Gay” bill on Tuday, sendg the Republin-backed legislatn banng LGBTQ stctn primary schools to Gov. The proposed law, often referred to by crics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, bans public school districts om teachg about sexual orientatn or genr inty krgarten through the third gra, or “ a manner that is not age-appropriate or velopmentally appropriate for stunts”—language that crics say uld extend the ban to higher gra levels.

” Read more: Kid of the Year Falist Kai Shappley, 11, Tak on Lawmakers Her Fight for Trans Rights What impact uld the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill have? Shevr Jon, Florida’s first openly gay Florida state senator, who told the legislative body: “To those who thk you n legislate gay people away, I’m sorry. (AP) — Florida has e unr tense natnal scty over legislatn that crics have labeled the “Don’t Say Gay” law.

FLORIDA JT PASSED THE "DON'T SAY GAY" BILL. HERE’S WHAT IT MEANS FOR KIDS

In that ve, they have labeled the measure the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday that forbids stctn on sexual orientatn and genr inty krgarten through Gra 3, a policy that has drawn tense natnal scty om crics who argue margaliz LGBTQ legislatn has phed Florida and DeSantis, an ascendg Republin and potential 2024 printial ndidate, to the foreont of the untry's culture wars, wh LGBTQ advot, stunts, Democrats, the entertament dtry and the Whe Hoe nouncg what crics have lled the "Don't Say Gay" bill. Florida stunts staged walkouts and packed to mtee rooms and statehoe halls to prott the measure, often wh boomg chants of "We say gay!

WHAT EXACTLY IS FLORIDA’S NEW ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ LAW?

"Throughout bate the Republin-ntrolled statehoe, Democrats have said the bill's language — particularly the phras "classroom stctn" and "age appropriate" — uld be terpreted so broadly that discsn any gra uld trigger lawsus and create a classroom atmosphere where teachers would avoid the subjects Disney workers walk off the job over pany's rponse to Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill"The bill's tentnally vague language leav teachers aaid to talk to their stunts and opens up school districts to stly and ivolo ligatn om those seekg to exclu LGBTQ people om any gra level, " said state Rep. Smh, a Democrat who is gay. "Even worse, #DontSayGay sends a hateful msage to our most vulnerable youth who simply need our support.

Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill part of Republin drive to lim talk of sex and race U. As Florida’s Parental Rights Edutn law — or what crics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law — go to effect Friday, some of the state’s public school districts have begun rollg out new polici to lim LGBTQ issu and inti om beg discsed the Tuday night, the Leon County School Board unanimoly approved s “LGBTQ Inclive School Gui, ” which clus a provisn to alert parents if a stunt who is “open about their genr inty” is their child’s physil tn class or wh them on an overnight school trip.

Clifford / AP fileThe so-lled Don’t Say Gay law, HB 1557, bans “stctn” about sexual orientatn or genr inty “ krgarten through gra 3 or a manner that is not age appropriate or velopmentally appropriate for stunts acrdance wh state standards.

'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL BE LAW FLORIDA, BANNG SEXUAL ORIENTATN STCTN OM K-3

” A provisn the law also requir school staff members to alert parents about “cril cisns affectg a stunt’s mental, emotnal, or physil health or well-beg, ” which many advot have terpreted as a way to force tors to out their gay or trans stunts. They have also ntend that will not prohib teachers and stunts om talkg about their LGBTQ fai or bar classroom discsns about LGBTQ history, cludg events like the 2016 attack at the Pulse gay nightclub crics and legal experts have said the broad language of the law uld open school districts and teachers to lawsus om parents who believe any nversatn about LGBTQ people or issu is “not age appropriate. Carlos Smh, a Democrat who is gay and has been an outspoken cric of the new law, said he was “not surprised” that schools the state were announcg the polici and guil.

“What’s happeng right now — wh the censorship of rabow flags and school districts preparg to basilly ph LGBTQ stunts and teachers to the closet — is exactly what we said would happen wh the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law. "Members and supporters of the LGBTQ muny at the "Say Gay Anyway" rally Miami Beach, Fla., on March 13.

Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Imag fileFive other stat — all of them the South — have enacted laws that lim stctn or discsns about LGBTQ people or issu school, and at least 32 others have proposed such measur this year, acrdg to acrdg to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ thk tank that has been trackg the strsed that the polici will have nsequenc for lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer stunts, potg to the disproportnately high rat of suici attempts among the untry’s LGBTQ youths. ”In Palm Beach County, Woods, who is gay, said that after they received the qutnnaire om school officials to flag urse material or books wh LGBTQ referenc, many of his lleagu are nervo they’ll be reprimand if they miss somethg.

AS FLORIDA'S 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW TAK EFFECT, SCHOOLS ROLL OUT LGBTQ RTRICTNS

Alarmgly rtrictive laws ntue to proliferate across much of the Raedle / GettyThe red-state drive to roll back civil rights is enterg a new phase, perhaps bt symbolized by Florida’s passage this week of the “Don’t Say ‘Gay’” bill censorg how schools discs sexual orientatn. The refal of the Walt Disney Company, one of Florida’s most powerful employers, to publicly cricize Florida’s “Don’t Say ‘Gay’” bill as moved through the legislature has quickly e to symbolize a retreat om the loud public opposn that many pani exprsed to earlier state iativ rtrictg civil liberti, such as the “bathroom bill” North Carola Republins approved the broad range of socially nservative iativ that Florida’s Republin ernor, Ron DeSantis, and the GOP state legislature have advanced sce 2021, bs has been “silent, silent as fuck, they are so silent, ” says Florida Democratic State Reprentative Anna Eskamani, echog a plat I heard across several stat om Democrats and civil-rights advot this week.

This clus laws limg accs to abortn, rtrictg votg rights, banng transgenr girls om participatg high-school or llege sports, barrg transn medil treatment for transgenr mors, censorg how teachers n talk about current or historil racial and genr equi, removg licensg requirements to publicly rry firearms, creasg penalti for public protters, and immunizg drivers who h and jure Watch what’s happeng red statFlorida alone has passed almost every em on that list, and this week add the “Don’t Say ‘Gay’” bill rtrictg classroom discsn of sexual orientatn.

FLORIDA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ LAW TAK EFFECT TODAY. ITS IMPACT IS ALREADY BEG FELT

” Although many big rporatns touted their mment to Black History Month Febary, he not, they “are not willg to put their hand on the sle to stop the removal of Mart Luther Kg and Rosa Parks om our public schools” or to stand up unequivolly for votg rporate rponse was even more muted to the “Don’t Say ‘Gay’” legislatn Florida passed Tuday. Disney’s reticence on the “Don’t Say ‘Gay’” bill ntrasted wh s activist role agast other nservative legislatn unr s former chairman and CEO Robert Iger.

”Bin also tweeted stern opposn to Florida’s “Don’t Say ‘Gay’” bill, and when passed on Tuday, Edutn Secretary Miguel Cardona issued a stronger statement of nmnatn than he’s offered on any of the earlier state-level bills targetg curriculum. Florida’s Parental Rights Edutn law — known to s crics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law — will officially take effect today.

Smh, who 2016 beme the state’s first openly gay Lato lawmaker, said he wasn’t exactly surprised that the bill had been troduced.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT FLORIDA'S NEW 'DON'T SAY GAY' RULE THAT BANS DISCSN OF GENR FOR ALL STUNTS

Worry over whether the bill — dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by s crics — vlat the First Amendment rights of public school teachers and stunts has also been wispread. He said Democrats llg the measure the “Don’t Say Gay” bill were lyg to children and g them as “polil pawns” to further an agenda.

Florida’s Board of Edutn approved an expansn of the state’s so-lled ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law, which will bar teachers om talkg about sexual orientatn and genr for all public school stunts. “The cisn by the Florida Board of Edutn to extend curriculum bans through twelfth gra is disgraceful — and will rult tastrophic nsequenc for Florida stunts and supportive tors, ” wrote Melanie Willgham-Jaggers, executive director of Gay, Lbian, and Straight Edutn Network, a nonprof found by tors to create affirmg spac for queer youth, an email statement.

HOW FLORIDA'S 'DON’T SAY GAY' LAW HARMS LGBTQ+ STUNTS AND TEACHERS

The expansn of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ laws Florida legislators have also been nsirg a number of bills wh siar provisns to the Parental Rights Edutn law that seek to prohib stctn on sexual orientatn or genr inty until eighth gra. The set of three bills beg nsired— Hoe Bill 1223, 1069 and Senate Bill 1320— would expand Don’t Say Gay laws.

DESANTIS-BACKED 'DONT SAY GAY' BILL SPARKS OUTRAGE

It also arriv at a tensn pot between Disney, who publicly nounced Don’t Say Gay, and the ernor. The ntroversial law, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by s opponents, is set to take effect July.

The platiffs Thursday’s lawsu clu Equaly Florida, an LGBTQ advocy anizatn; Fay Equaly, a New York-based nonprof; a 17-year-old sophomore Palmetto, Florida, who intifi as gay; an 18-year-old senr Osprey, Florida, who intifi as gay; the parent of a transgenr fifth-grar Florida; three same-sex upl livg Florida wh young children; and a middle-school public teacher Grand Ridge, Florida.

TRANS LEGISLATOR: LGBTQ MUNY WON'T SURRENR TO FLORIDA'S ANTI-GAY LAWS

A few stat are nsirg passg a siar legislatn based on the "Don't Say Gay" law. Crics have labeled the legislatn as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, sayg lims eedom of exprsn and harms LGBTQ+ stunts and teachers. Acrdg to 2019 data om the Centers for Disease Control and Preventn on Florida high schoolers prr to the implementatn of the “Don’t Say Gay” law, stunts who intified as gay, lbian, or bisexual were already substantially more likely to attempt suici, at 20.