Florida's LGBTQ advot are rallyg to support young people light of 'Don't Say Gay' | CNN

florida gay protest

Stunts across the state of Florida staged school walkouts rponse to the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

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PROTTS NTUE AGAST FLORIDA 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL

LGBTQ youth and stunts are fightg back agast the 'Don't Say Gay' bill proposed Florida. * florida gay protest *

Demonstrators gathered ont of and si the Florida State Capol on Monday to stop the legislatn that has been dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill. "We say gay, " they chanted, the sound echog throughout the halls as they anticipated a vote on the bill expected Monday. "Stori and histori about people like CJ -- a gay, 17-year-old boy -- would not be allowed to be tght classrooms om krgarten to third gra if the legislatn, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill, is implemented, limg classroom curriculum on sexual orientatn and genr inty.

LGBTQ YOUTH FIGHT BACK AGAST FLORIDA'S 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL

A massive stunt walkout prott of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill took place at Wter Park High School Orange County on Monday. * florida gay protest *

"They won't know who they are, they won't be able to exprs themselv, " CJ said about stunts classrooms where the lsons are Waln, 17, is jog other high school stunts a letter-wrg mpaign agast the "Don't Say Gay" bill. "I really thk this sends a msage to stunts, to staff, to our muny, that there is somethg wrong wh beg gay or that is somethg that is too taboo to be discsed and that we are somethg that should be the shadows, " Fenng said.

Joe Hardg, who troduced the bill, told ABC News podst "Start Here" that teachers and stunts n still discs sexual orientatn and genr inty their classrooms, there jt n't be a curriculum or lsons on Fenng and other Florida stunts went to the state pal to nont legislators about the "Don't Say Gay" bill. Courty CJ WalnActivists have likened the bill to a gag orr or to the “No Promo Homo” laws of the 1990s that barred tors om discsg queer topics the bill would ban lsons ncerng genr or sexual orientatn classrooms om krgarten to third gra, would also not allow them when is age-appropriate or not le wh state standards. "Regardls of whether this bill pass or not, gay kids and trans kids are still gog to be schools, are still gog to be experiencg beg gay and beg trans, " Fenng said.

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.

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

Supporters and crics of the "Don't Say Gay" bill differ on whether would prevent the "stctn" or "discsn" of sexual orientatn or genr inty * florida gay protest *

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.

FLORIDA STUNTS PARTICIPATE MASSIVE WALKOUT TO PROTT THE ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL

It was St. Petersburg’s first LGBTQ Pri march sce the onslght of the Covid-19 panmic, and jt three months after Florida’s ernor signed what crics ll the “Don’t Say Gay” law. * florida gay protest *

'Absolutely': Pete Buttigieg on whether 'Don't Say Gay' bill is dangero. More than 500 stunts participated a massive walkout Monday at Wter Park High School Orange County, Florida, prott of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill currently beg nsired by the state Senate, acrdg to walkout anizer and high school stunt Will Larks. LGBTQ advot say the measure would lead to further stigmatizatn of gay, lbian and transgenr children, g more bullyg and suicis wh an already margalized muny.

Durg the walkout, stunts were chantg, “We say gay!

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

LGBTQ people are flockg to Florida this weekend to take part Gay Days, Disney's Pri celebratn. * florida gay protest *

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.

FLORIDA PASS ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL SPE PROTTS

Activists ntue to prott the "Don't Say Gay" bill as progrs. One stunt was spend for distributg pri flags. * florida gay protest *

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.

”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.

‘WE SAY GAY’: FLORIDA’S LARGT PRI PARA DRAWS HUNDREDS OF THOANDS

* florida gay protest *

The proposal, which opponents have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, now mov to the sk of Republin Gov. Dozens of stunts and advot flood mtee rooms durg the proposal’s early stag and then packed to the halls of the legislature as moved toward fal passage, often wh chants of “We say gay!

LGBTQ PEOPLE FLOCK TO FLORIDA FOR DISNEY'S GAY DAYS CELEBRATN

Florida’s so-lled “Don’t Say Gay” bill overme s fal legislative hurdle on Tuday, when the state Senate voted to pass the measure. Even as is poised to bee law, young people the state won’t let the legislatn pass silently. * florida gay protest *

DeSantis has chafed at llg the proposal the “Don’t Say Gay” bill bee he said the bill would apply to stctn on any genr inty or sexual orientatn. Petersburg’s first LGBTQ Pri march sce the onslght of the Covid-19 panmic, and jt three months after Florida’s ernor signed what crics ll the “Don’t Say Gay” law.

Along wh rabow hats, eye makp, clothg and flags, there were prott signs the sea of Pri revelers, cludg those that said “We say gay” and "Bans off our bodi. The measure, which crics dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law, prohibs classroom stctn on genr inty and sexual orientatn Florida classrooms for stunts “ krgarten through gra 3 or a manner that is not age appropriate or velopmentally appropriate for stunts acrdance wh state standards. McKeon hosted a booth where he sold water bottl, T-shirts and stickers wh “Jt Say Gay” emblazoned across the ont of each em.

ACTIVISTS SLAM 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL'S PROGRS FLORIDA LEGISLATURE

In the week until the “Don’t Say Gay” law tak effect — and a moment time that for many queer people has brought a sense of unease about their future — the ever-faiar “pri as prott” rea lored how many celebrated the largt event of s kd Florida, a state that has propelled self to the center of the latt culture war. “If you’re gog to be gay anywhere Florida, St.

Dpe the 90-gree heat and humidy that ntued to the early eveng hours and a smatterg of anti-gay protters holdg signs that said “J Lov You” and “How Can I Pray for You, ” patrons stayed for hours after the para, visg vendors and lol bs, and dancg North Strb Park.

Petersburg om Tampa, said that neher the protters nor the “Don’t Say Gay” law uld ter her. — Tens of thoands of LGBTQ people are flockg to central Florida this weekend to go on theme park ris, mgle wh stumed performers, dance at all-night parti and lounge poolsi at hotels durg Gay Days, a s-long though Gov.

FLORIDA SENATE PASS NTROVERSIAL "DON'T SAY GAY" BILL SPE PROTTS

Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers have champned a slew of anti-LGBTQ laws — spurrg the most proment gay rights group the U. And other civil rights anizatns to issue warngs the Sunshe State may no longer be safe — Gay Days anizers are still enuragg visors om around the world to e to one of Florida’s largt gay and lbian say a large turnout will send a msage that LGBTQ people are not gog away Florida, which is ntually one of the most popular stat for tourists to vis.

If the hoped-for 150, 000 or more visors e to the half-week of pool parti, drag bgo and thrill ris at Orlando’s theme parks and hotels, then “that’s the pot, ” said Joseph Clark, CEO of Gay Days Inc. ”It’s not lost on the anizers that the highlight of the weekend will be a Saturday meetup of LGBTQ visors at the Magic Kgdom at Walt Disney World, where the first Gay Days started as a sgle-day celebratn 1991.

FLORIDA STUNTS STAGE SCHOOL WALKOUTS OVER 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL

Currently, Disney is embroiled a legal fight wh DeSantis over the ernor and Republin lawmakers’ takeover of Disney World’s erng district — after Disney officials publicly opposed legislatn that crics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay. “It’s ls a csa and more like, ‘I’m not gog to spend my money where bad thgs are gog on, ’” Hayn Days has survived past challeng, cludg the early years when Disney posted signs at the Magic Kgdom’s entrance warng visors there was a large gatherg of gays and lbians and offerg pass to other parks for guts who might be offend.

Over the last three s, though, the theme parks and rorts have thrown down the wele mats as Gay Days has bee a profable bounce between the sprg break and out-of-school summer crowds. Durg Gay Days the 1990s, hundreds of anti-abortn activists wh Operatn Rcue protted outsi Walt Disney World, and the Southern Baptist Conventn ced the gatherg llg for a boytt of all thgs Disney.

Some Christian groups tried to buy air time durg Gay Days the late 1990s to prsure people to renounce their sexual orientatn, but mastream TV statns Orlando rejected the ads. This year, the 30-year-old photographer had schled a private event on 10 June at a gym that would once aga clu a drag show and would be open only to adults who had bought tickets of the Protectn of Children law and the appearance of a road sign the nearby Orlando neighborhood of Lake Nona that read “kill all gays” prompted all four drag show performers to ncel their appearanc. ” Last year, the ernor signed a “don’t say gay” bill that bars stctn on sexual orientatn and genr inty to children between krgarten and third gra.

‘IT’S MY FLORIDA TOO’: PULSE SHOOTG SURVIVOR BRANDON WOLF ON BEG BLACK, GAY AND THE ANTI-RON DESANTIS

Acrdg to Equaly Florida, the state’s premier advocy group for LGBTQ+ rights, the Sunshe state is home to an timated 886, 000 gay, lbian, bisexual, transgenr and non-bary people 13 years of age or olr. The will clu a Friday night ncert, a para and a Sunday street a siar ve, south Florida’s longt-nng Pri para will be held the Fort Lrdale suburb Wilton Manors on 17 June, and events are planned at the Perez Art Mm Miami and a Fort Lrdale of Florida’s first openly gay lawmakers wel the forthright affirmatn of his muny’s existence and future some of the state’s largt metropolan areas.

GEN Z WON’T STAY QUIET ON FLORIDA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL

Jack Petocz, a stunt activist Florida, led his peers on a school walkout last week prott of what many ll the “Don’t Say Gay" bill, which was passed by the state legislature on Florida bill would lim what tors the state n teach about sexual orientatn and genr inty si some this legislatn, the lsons "may not occur krgarten through gra 3 or a manner that is not age-appropriate or velopmentally appropriate for stunts acrdance wh state standards. "Jack Petocz led his peers on a stunt walkout agast the "Don't Say Gay" bill VidalWhat started as a peaceful way for young people to rally agast the bill turned to a school spensn for Petocz.

DeSantis to have a meetg wh me before he signs this to law to hear a firsthand acunt of how this bill will affect my muny, " Petocz Petocz led his peers on a stunt walkout agast the "Don't Say Gay" bill VidalRep.

"But for many of the stunts, polil measur like the are personal attacks, acrdg to Sarah Kate Ellis, the print and CEO of the Gay and Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn (GLAAD).

UF MUNY PROTTS DON’T SAY GAY BILL

"Jack Petocz led his peers on a stunt walkout agast the "Don't Say Gay" bill VidalEllis, who is gay, is a mother to young children and told ABC News that children’s books wh two moms were her children's favore stori to read growg up.

The Florida Senate has passed the "Parental Rights Edutn" bill, known by crics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, spe stnch cricism om Democratic lawmakers and LGBTQ+ advot. A 2019 survey om The Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network (GLSEN), emed Florida's school climate "not safe" for LGBTQ+ stunts, due part to a lack of accs to LGBTQ+-clive curriculum and supportive school polici. She tried to be straight, gay and pansexual — someone attracted all genrs, cludg people who are not women or men.

In March 2022, DeSantis signed a bill that crics ll the “Don’t Say Gay” law, banng stctn on sexual and genr inty om krgarten to third “barely” noticed the cisn. Stunts across Florida staged school walkouts rponse to legislatn — dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill — that would prohib discsg sexual orientatn and genr inty the state’s primary schools. Stunts wavg rabow picket signs and shoutg “We say gay!

RON DESANTIS'S FLORIDA BOARD OF EDUTN: HEY, WHAT ABOUT THE “PERSONAL BENEF” OF BEG A SLAVE?FLORIDA’S NEW AIN AMERIN STUDI CURRICULUM STANDARDS WILL FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUNTS TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE SUPPOSED UPSIS OF SLAVERY.BY ERIC LUTZJULY 20, 2023RON DESANTIS SPEAKS DURG A MPAIGN EVENT IOWA JULY 14.RACHEL MUMMEY/BLOOMBERG VIA GETTY IMAGSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVERON DESANTIS’S WAR ON “WOKENS” SCHOOLS ASCEND TO DANGERO NEW HEIGHTS WEDNDAY, AS FLORIDA’S STATE BOARD OF EDUTN APPROVED NEW AIN AMERIN STUDI CURRICULUM STANDARDS THAT, AMONG OTHER THGS, WOULD FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUNTS TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE SUPPOSED UPSIS OF SLAVERY — A WHEWASHG OF HISTORY THAT THE STATE’S LARGT TEACHERS UNN CRIED AS A “BIG STEP BACKWARD” FOR TN.“GOV. DESANTIS IS PURSUG A POLIL AGENDA GUARANTEED TO SET GOOD PEOPLE AGAST ONE ANOTHER, AND THE PROCS HE’S CHEATG OUR KIDS,” ANDREW SPAR, PRINT OF THE FLORIDA EDUTN ASSOCIATN, SAID A STATEMENT BLASTG THE NEW AIN AMERIN STUDI STANDARDS. “THEY SERVE THE FULL TTH OF AMERIN HISTORY, THE GOOD AND THE BAD.”FLORIDA PUBLIC SCHOOL STUNTS MAY NOT GET THAT UNR THE NEW L APPROVED WEDNDAY, WHICH REQUIRE TEACHERS— A SECTN ON SLAVERY— TO NOTE THAT “SLAV VELOPED SKILLS, WHICH, SOME STANC, ULD BE APPLIED FOR THEIR PERSONAL BENEF.” IN A SECTN ON “RENSTCTN AND BEYOND,” A PERD MARKED BY JIM CROW AND ROUTE WHE TERRORISM ON BLACK MUNI, THE NEW L DICTATE THAT STUNTS MT BE TGHT ABOUT “ACTS OF VLENCE PERPETRATED AGAST AND BY AIN AMERINS,” WHICH, AS DEMOCRATIC STATE SENATOR GERALDE THOMPSON POTED OUT, SUGGTS CINTS LIKE THE OEE MASSACRE WERE “SPARKED BY VLENCE OM AIN AMERINS.”“THAT’S BLAMG THE VICTIMS,” SAID THOMPSON, WHO, AS THE WASHGTON POST NOT, HELPED PASS A 2020 LAW REQUIRG FLORIDA SCHOOLS TO TEACH ABOUT THE 1920 MASSACRE, WHICH A WHE MOB KILLED DOZENS OF BLACK RINTS OF OEE, FLORIDA, ELECTN DAY VLENCE. (MANNY DIAZ, FLORIDA'S TN MISSNER, PRAISED THE CHANG, SAYG THAT “THIS IS SOMETHG THAT IS GOG TO SET THE NORM FOR STANDARDS OTHER STAT.”)X NTENTTHIS NTENT N ALSO BE VIEWED ON THE SE ORIGAT OM.THE NEW STANDARDS E AS DESANTIS, A NTENR FOR THE 2024 REPUBLIN NOMATN, LAT HIS WAR ON SO-LLED “WOKE” TN, WHICH HAS CLUD BOOK BANS, THE REJECTN OF AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT URSE ON AIN AMERIN STUDI, AND THE PASSAGE OF THE STOP WOKE ACT, WHICH PROHIBS THE STCTN OF MATERIAL THAT ULD MAKE SOMEONE FEEL “GUILT, ANGUISH OR ANY FORM OF PSYCHOLOGIL STRS.” HIS NCERN FOR THE POSSIBLE “ANGUISH” OF FLORIDA STUNTS DO NOT SEEM TO EXTEND TO BLACK STUNTS, WHO ULD BE FORCED TO LEARN ABOUT THE SUPPOSED “BENEF” OF SLAVERY, NOR DO SEEM TO EXTEND TO LGBTQ KIDS AND THEIR FAI, WHO HAVE ALSO BEEN TARGETED HIS BATTLE. DESANTIS EXPAND HIS “DON’T SAY GAY” LAW THIS YEAR, AND THE FLORIDA BOARD OF EDUTN VOTED WEDNDAY FOR L THAT TOOK EVEN FURTHER — CLUDG BY BARRG TEACHERS OM ASKG STUNTS THEIR PREFERRED PRONOUNS. DIAZ SAID THE MOVE WOULD PROTECT KIDS OM “UNWELE FLUENC AND DOCTRATN," PRAISG DESANTIS, THE LEGISLATN, AND THE BOARD FOR WHAT HE SCRIBED A STATEMENT AS THEIR “UNWAVERG MMENT TO THE HEALTH, WELLBEG AND SAFETY OF OUR STUNTS.” BUT, AS CRICS CHARGED, THE L NSTUTED AN LATN THE “POLILLY-MOTIVATED WAR ON PARENTS, STUNTS, AND TORS” FLORIDA. “OUR STUNTS SERVE CLASSROOMS WHERE ALL FAI ARE TREATED WH THE RPECT THEY SERVE AND ALL YOUNG PEOPLE ARE WELED,” JENNIFER SOLOMON, EQUALY FLORIDA PARENTS & FAI SUPPORT MANAGER, SAID A STATEMENT WEDNDAY. “INSTEAD, THE DESANTIS ADMISTRATN NTU TO WIELD THE STATE AGAST .”“STOP TURNG OUR KIDS’ CLASSROOMS TO POLIL BATTLEFIELDS TO SRE CHEAP POTS,” SOLOMON NTUED.BUT DESANTIS, OF URSE, SHOWS NO SIGN OF STOPPG: HIS RELENTLS CULTURE WAR HELPED LIFT HIM TO NATNAL PROMENCE, AND HE HAS MA HIS CENTRAL — NAY, HIS ONLY — PCH TO GOP VOTERS HIS SPUTTERG PRINTIAL MPAIGN. “WE’VE MA THE STATE OF FLORIDA THE PLACE WHERE WOKE GO TO DIE,” HE SAID AT A RECENT MPAIGN EVENT. “AND NOW, IS OUR MISSN AS AMERINS TO ENSURE THAT JANUARY 2025…WE LEAVE WOKE IOLOGY THE DTB OF HISTORY WHERE BELONGS.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRHOW FOUR BILLNAIRE TECHNO-OLIGARCHS ARE CREATG AN ALTERNATE REALYEXCLIVE NEW DETAILS ABOUT MEGHAN MARKLE’S WEDDG DRSA BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF EVERYTHG HAPPENG AT THIS FALL’S FILM FTIVALS—WHOUT THE STARSA SER SETBACK FOR TMP’S PLAN TO GET REELECTED AND PARDON HIMSELFMEET KYLE DCHANEL, THE PRETEND PLAYBOY WHO SEEMS TO HAVE FOOLED HALF OF MANHATTANTHE ULTIMATE GUI TO FALL MOVIFROM THE ARCHIVE: A FATHER’S ACUNT OF THE TRIAL OF HIS DGHTER’S KILLEREND-OF-SUMMER SALE! TAKE 25% OFF AT THE VF SHOPMOST POPULARPRCE HARRY AND MEGAN MARKLE H BEYONCE SHOW IN LABY EVE BATEYJENNA ORTEGA REILS AT JOHNNY DEPP DATG RUMORS BY EVE BATEYKYLE DCHANEL, THE ROTHSCHILD WHO WASN’TBY NATE FREEMANERIC LUTZ

"I believe this attempt to threaten me and remove me om mp is riddled wh homophobia and bigotry, " said Petocz, who is gay. "You’re silencg a queer stunt standg up for what he believ , his rights, and you’re disciplg him for challengg you on the allowance of pri flags a gay rally?

Hillsborough High School stunts prott the "Don't Say Gay" bill Thursday Tampa, Fla. The measure’s opponents ntend that the bill would be trimental to the mental health of the state’s LGBTQ children and teachers, preventg them om openly talkg about themselv and their Joe Hardg, the Republin who troduced the bill January, has repeatedly said the bill would not prohib stunts om talkg about their LGBTQ fai or bar classroom discsns about LGBTQ history, cludg events like the 2016 attack on the Pulse nightclub, a gay club Orlando.

FLORIDA’S LGBTQ ADVOT ARE RALLYG TO SUPPORT YOUNG PEOPLE LIGHT OF ‘DON’T SAY GAY’

"So I feel like should be tght schools bee will help other people jt like me know that 's OK to be gay.

‘SAY GAY’: BILLBOARDS APPEAR ALL OVER FLORIDA PROTT AGAST ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BILL

Petersburg, Gibbs High School, is draped wh rabow flags, Gay Straight Alliance club posters "everywhere" and other LGBTQ-affirmg symbols. ”Wolf had sought refuge Florida 15 years ago when he was done wh ral Oregon, the childhood home where he suffered embedd racism and homophobia on a daily basis.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* FLORIDA GAY PROTEST

Florida pass ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill spe protts | PBS NewsHour .

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