How Florida’s ‘don’t say gay’ law uld harm children’s mental health | Florida | The Guardian

Contents:

• HERE'S WHAT FLORIDA'S 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL WOULD DO AND WHAT WOULDN'T DO
• LAWSU FILED AGAST FLORIDA'S SO-LLED 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW WH DAYS OF SIGNG
• FLORIDA'S ERNOR SIGNS NTROVERSIAL LAW OPPONENTS DUBBED 'DON'T SAY GAY'
• WHAT DO ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ ACTUALLY SAY?
• FLORIDA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ LAW TAK EFFECT TODAY. ITS IMPACT IS ALREADY BEG FELT
• WHAT'S THE SO-LLED DON'T SAY GAY BILL THAT ULD IMPACT THE WHOLE UNTRY
• 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL BE LAW FLORIDA, BANNG SEXUAL ORIENTATN STCTN OM K-3
• SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW & HOW DO IT AFFECT YOU?
• NU äR DON’T SAY GAY-LAGEN ETT FAKTUM I FLORIDA
• WHAT DO THE DON'T SAY GAY BILL MEAN? CONTROVERSIAL DESANTIS LAW EXPLAED
• WHAT THE BILL DUBBED ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BY CRICS ACTUALLY SAYS
• FLORIDA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ LAW MAY SOUND VAGUE – BUT S PURPOSE IS CLEAR
• AS FLORIDA'S 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW TAK EFFECT, SCHOOLS ROLL OUT LGBTQ RTRICTNS
• NOT JT FLORIDA. MORE THAN A DOZEN STAT PROPOSE SO-LLED 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILLS
• HOW FLORIDA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ LAW ULD HARM CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH

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.

LAWSU FILED AGAST FLORIDA'S SO-LLED 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW WH DAYS OF SIGNG

”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.

A lawsu has been filed agast the State of Florida over the newly signed Parental Rights Edutn law, dubbed the "Don’t Say Gay" law by crics, jt three days after was signed. Ron DeSantis displays the signed Parental Rights Edutn, aka the Don't Say Gay bill, flanked by elementary school stunts durg a news nferencey, March 28, 2022, at Classil Preparatory school Shady Hills.

"Members and supporters of the LGBTQ muny attend the "Say Gay Anyway" rally Miami Beach, Florida, March 13, 2022.

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

The bill, which some opponents have lled "Don't Say Gay, " was signed by DeSantis on Monday. 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.

WHAT DO ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ ACTUALLY SAY?

Today, we have an analysis of a piece of tn legislatn Florida that crics have referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” we have news of our own: We’re makg some chang to the Edutn Briefg.

See below for Asenc-Rhe/Tampa Bay Tim, via Associated PrsA close read of ‘Don’t Say Gay’Gov.

Ron DeSantis of Florida is expected to sign Hoe Bill 1557, a proposed law that supporters ll the “Parental Rights Edutn” bill and opponents refer to as the “Don’t Say Gay” lleague Dana Goldste has done a close readg of the bill self, which is about much more than gay rights. Sentence has earned the bill the “Don’t Say Gay” nickname:L 97-101: Classroom stctn by school personnel or third parti on sexual orientatn or genr inty may not occur krgarten through gra 3 or a manner that is not age appropriate or velopmentally appropriate for stunts acrdance wh state impact is clear enough: Instctn on genr and sexualy would be nstraed all gras. That uld disurage a teacher om speakg about gay fai wh the whole class, even if some stunts have gay bill also targets mental health and unselg servic — a place where stunts often have difficult nversatns about genr inty and sexualy, pecially if they stggle to talk about those nversatns at as Florida revis s school unselg standards, adopted 2010, which affirm genr and sexual diversy unselg.

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

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. 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. Demonstrators gather on the steps of the Florida Historic Capol Mm ont of the Florida State Capol March Tallahassee, Fla, prottg what opponents ll the "Don't Say Gay" bill. Hoe Republins have troduced legislatn that some crics are scribg as a natnal "Don't Say Gay" bill – spired by the ntroversial Florida law that bans stctn on genr inty and sexual orientatn krgarten through third gra class.

WHAT'S THE SO-LLED DON'T SAY GAY BILL THAT ULD IMPACT THE WHOLE UNTRY

" Crics of the measure dubbed the Florida law "Don't Say Gay" and argue that s tent is to margalize LGBTQ people and their fai. A feral 'Don't Say Gay or Trans' bill... Activist Er Reed, who tracks anti-transgenr legislatn, argu that the parison to a "Don't Say Gay" bill mimiz the potential effects of this proposed legislatn.

"Don't Say Gay/Trans was foced on 'classroom stctn' which was bad enough, " she wrote on Twter. 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!

"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.

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

"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.

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) - You may be wonrg why the Sunshe State has e unr tense natnal scty over legislatn that crics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" law. In that ve, they have labeled the measure the "Don't Say Gay" bill. ”Don’t Say Gay-lagen” eller ”Föräldrars rättigheter om utbildng” som n officiellt heter, trär i kraft n 1 juli i år.

After weeks of public bate regardg the ntroversial legislatn nicknamed the "Don't Say Gay" bill, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill to law on bill, known formally as HB 1557, beme a topic of natnal attentn after was first filed January, as activists nmned the bill, statg would e harm to LGBTQ+ stunts school environments as stands agast the teachg of sexual orientatn for children schools between the ag of 5 to prott of the bill led public school and employee walkouts, and major lears of rporatns like Disney and celebri alike have publicly nounced the bate has flourished as others assert that HB 1557 giv parents the thory over their children's tn, statg that there is more to than what the "Don't Say Gay" bill impli.

SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW & HOW DO IT AFFECT YOU?

Opponents began llg the "Don't Say Gay" bill due to the fact that the bill prohibs "classroom discsn about sexual orientatn or genr inty certa gra levels or a specified manner. Wanda Syk, Rega Hall and Amy Schumer said they were gog to have a "gay" night, and repeated the word "gay" eight tim "for the people of Florida.

The ntroversial "Don't Say Gay" bill was signed to law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday. 'I am eply gay': Kate McKnon mocks Florida's ntroversial bill.

In their qut to bee the party of “parental rights, ” Republins Florida and other stat are attemptg to muzzle discsn of gay and civil rights school. Ron DeSantis signed – tled “Parental Rights Edutn” – has been dubbed by crics the “Don’t Say Gay” bill bee seeks to ban discsn of genr and sexualy issu wh younger stunts.

NU äR DON’T SAY GAY-LAGEN ETT FAKTUM I FLORIDA

What has been dubbed by crics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill was the subject of an tense opposn mpaign.

Earlier this month, DeSantis grew agated at the Florida Strawberry Ftival when a reporter asked him about the phrase – “Don’t Say Gay” – that crics have applied to the bill. Sign up for the Week Patriarchy, a newsletter​ on femism and sexism sent every SaturdayFlorida’s ‘don’t say gay’ law officially go to effectRabows are no longer wele the Sunshe state. On Friday, Florida’s Parental Rights Edutn measure, more monly known as the “don’t say gay” law, officially took effect.

Like Texas’s abortn bounty law, the don’t say gay bill giv parents the power to levy lawsus agast teachers or schools they believe ntravene the liberately broad law.

WHAT DO THE DON'T SAY GAY BILL MEAN? CONTROVERSIAL DESANTIS LAW EXPLAED

So there you go: the party that profs to love ee speech and small ernment has phed through a law that means a rabow sticker uld end a teacher’s you n’t say gay Florida schools any more, teachers n pray as much they like. And that state of affairs is gog to spread beyond Florida very quickly; expect a lot more don’t say gay Bills to start poppg up around the US. 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.

” 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.

WHAT THE BILL DUBBED ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ BY CRICS ACTUALLY SAYS

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.

FLORIDA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ LAW MAY SOUND VAGUE – BUT S PURPOSE IS CLEAR

“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. Across the Uned Stat, at least a dozen stat are nsirg new legislatn that several ways will mirror Florida's new ntroversial law, referred to by some opponents as "Don't Say Gay. "The stutnalizatn of the bills is an overt form of stctural transphobia and homophobia, and go agast all public health evince creatg a safe and supportive environment for transgenr, nonbary, queer, gay and lbian youths and teachers to thrive, " Arjee Rtar, assistant profsor of epimlogy at the Universy of Washgton, told NPR.

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

Rtar, a social epimlogist and health equy advote, said the ntroversial bills will lim all youths to live to their fullt potential, addg "there should be no room for transphobia and homophobia — pecially the classroom. " Tennsee's HB 800 bans books and stctnal materials "that promote, normalize, support, or addrs lbian, gay, bi-sexual, or transgenr issu or liftyle.

NOT JT FLORIDA. MORE THAN A DOZEN STAT PROPOSE SO-LLED 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILLS

Two years after Arizona lawmakers repealed a law barrg any stctn on HIV or AIDS that that "promot a homosexual liftyle, " they are close to enactg a broad remake of the state's sex tn laws wh a particular foc on LGBTQ issu.

"Florida may be the first this wave, but there have been other laws the past that were lled 'no promo homo' laws, which forbid sayg posive thgs about lbian, gay, bisexual, and queer people classrooms, " Simmons told NPR. New York Cy is lnchg a digal billboard mpaign, supportg LGBTQ visibily that will be displayed five major markets Florida for eight weeks, to lure Floridians unhappy wh their state's "Don't Say Gay" law to the Big Apple, Adams announced. “I’m so grateful that [Stella] is somewhere that se” the fay “as what is: her moms jt love her”, said Kelsey Hanley, Stella’s birth mother, who liv Kissimmee, Hanley, 30, worri that children who have multiple moms or dads or are LGBTQ+ themselv won’t get the same acceptance ’s bee the state recently approved legislatn that bans classroom stctn on sexual orientatn or genr inty om krgarten through third gra and prohibs such lsons for olr stunts unls they are “age-appropriate or velopmentally appropriate” and some pediatric psychologists say the law stigmatiz beg gay or transgenr and uld harm the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth, who are already more likely to face bullyg and attempt suici than children who are cisgenr and straight.

”The Parental Rights Edutn legislatn, which opponents labeled the “don’t say gay” bill, is part of a flurry of measur troduced by Republin lawmakers around the untry. At schools that did have an LGBTQ+ clive curriculum, 59% of rponnts said they often or equently heard the word “gay” ed a negative way, pared wh almost 80% of stunts at schools that did not have clive curriculum.

HOW FLORIDA’S ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ LAW ULD HARM CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH