Florida’s New ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Laws: What They Mean for Kids | Time

Contents:

• FLORIDA'S ERNOR SIGNS NTROVERSIAL LAW OPPONENTS DUBBED 'DON'T SAY GAY'
• HOW FLORIDA TEACHERS PLAN TO AL WH 'DON'T SAY GAY' L
• HERE'S WHAT FLORIDA'S 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL WOULD DO AND WHAT WOULDN'T DO
• AS FLORIDA'S 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW TAK EFFECT, SCHOOLS ROLL OUT LGBTQ RTRICTNS
• LGBTQ TEACHERS STGGLE TO NAVIGATE FLORIDA'S SO-CALLED 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW
• FLORIDA ERNOR SIGNS NTROVERSIAL 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL TO LAW
• FLORIDA ADVANC "DON'T SAY GAY" BILL THAT WOULD BAR LGBTQ DISCSNS SCHOOLS
• WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT FLORIDA'S NEW 'DON'T SAY GAY' RULE THAT BANS DISCSN OF GENR FOR ALL STUNTS
• TEACHERS FEAR THE CHILLG EFFECT OF FLORIDA'S SO-LLED 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW
• FLORIDA TEACHER UNR VTIGATN FOR SHOWG DISNEY MOVIE WH GAY CHARACTER SAYS SHE DIDN’T KNOW LGBTQ RTRICTN APPLIED TO HER CLASS
• I’M A GAY KRGARTEN TEACHER FLORIDA. THE ARE THE QUTNS I’M ASKG MYSELF.

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.

How Florida teachers plan to al wh 'Don't Say Gay' l. Florida's ernor has signed what crics ll the "Don't Say Gay" bill. AILSA CHANG, HOST: Florida teachers are tryg to figure out how the Parental Rights and Edutn Act, which opponents ll the don't say gay bill, will affect their classrooms.

Will he still feel fortable tellg stunts that the Revolutnary War hero, the Pssian General von Stben, is wily believed to have been openly gay? As a gay man, he says, tells him and his LGBTQ stunts that there's somethg appropriate about them, that their inty is taboo or somehow dirty. And I n tell you, as someone who grew up as a gay boy, how real that statistic is and how dangero is that the Republin legislators are playg wh the safety of our vulnerable McCracken is appalled when he hears DeSantis claim that schools are, the ernor's words, sexualizg kids and, quote, "jectg transgenrism to the classroom.

HOW FLORIDA TEACHERS PLAN TO AL WH 'DON'T SAY GAY' L

So I'm not teachg kids how to be gay my classroom. Florida's Parental Rights Edutn Act, cricized as the "Don't Say Gay" law, took effect July 1. "'There is no mer, for example, to the suggtn that the statute rtricts gay and transgenr teachers om 'put[tg] a fay photo on their sk' or 'refer[rg] to themselv and their spoe (and their own children), '" the memo says, referencg guidance issued by the state a motn to dismiss filed a lawsu seekg to validate the law.

Crics have dubbed the act the "Don't Say Gay" law. 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.

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

“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.

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. 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.

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

"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.

” This fall is the first school year which teachers and school admistrators mt follow Florida’s HB 1557—lled the “Parental Rights Edutn” statute by lawmakers and dubbed the Don’t Say Gay law by crics—that banned 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 acrdance wh state standards. ) “All we want as tors is to create a safe space for our stunts and teach them to rpect each other, ” says Brian Kerek, a gay high school math teacher Osceola County, Florida.

LGBTQ TEACHERS STGGLE TO NAVIGATE FLORIDA'S SO-CALLED 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW

Cory Bernaert, a gay krgarten teacher Parrish, Florida, says his curriculum has never clud discsns of genr inty or sexual orientatn. ) “The fact that someone has to say to the teachers that you n have a picture of your spoe on your sk, shows the environment they’re havg to work , ” says McCracken, who is gay. Michael Woods, a gay high school special tn teacher Palm Beach County, says he terpreted Palm Beach’s school district’s guidance to mean that if a stunt tells him somethg about their genr or pronouns, he mt notify the kid’s parents.

Ron DeSantis has signed the Parental Rights Edutn bill, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by bill bans classroom stctn on sexual orientatn or genr inty krgarten through third gra and stat that any stctn on those topics nnot occur " a manner that is not age-appropriate or velopmentally appropriate for stunts acrdance wh state standards, " acrdg to the legislatn, HB 1557. Florida Hoe Republins advanced a bill, dubbed by opponents as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, to forbid discsns of sexual orientatn and genr inty schools. Hillsborough High School stunts prott a Republin-backed bill dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" that would prohib classroom discsn of sexual orientatn and genr inty, a measure Democrats nounced as beg anti-LGBTQ, Tampa, Fla., March 3, 2022.

FLORIDA ERNOR SIGNS NTROVERSIAL 'DON'T SAY GAY' BILL TO LAW

Make no mistake, by signg the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, Ron DeSantis is takg the si of hatred, bullyg and discrimatn and sendg a clear msage to children Florida that he don’t re about them or their fai if he n e their pa to sre polil pots wh his base, " Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz said. "This bill is not tend to out gay children.

The Florida Board of Edutn has expand upon the state's existg "Don't Say Gay" legislatn, banng on Wednday the teachg of sexualy and genr inty all Florida public schools. Ileana Garcia's (FL-R) office after the passage of the Parental Rights Edutn bill, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by LGBTQ activists on March 9, 2022, Miami. The origal "Don't Say Gay" expansn bills were proposed March by the Republin admistratn of Gov.

""Don't Say Gay" legislatn is also opposed by a pluraly of Floridians surveyed wh a 2022 study om the Public Opn Rearch Lab at the Universy of North Florida fdg that 49% of rponnts were agast the passage of the origal has also sparked an ongog public fd between DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company, who opposed the passg of the "Parental Rights Edutn" bill last year.

FLORIDA ADVANC "DON'T SAY GAY" BILL THAT WOULD BAR LGBTQ DISCSNS SCHOOLS

March 28 (Rters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a Republin-backed bill that bans classroom stctn on sexual orientatn and genr inty for many young stunts, drawg swift cricism om pani, Democrats and advocy legislatn, referred to by s opponents as the "don't say gay" bill, has stirred natnal ntroversy and got attentn durg Sunday's Osrs telest amid an creasgly partisan bate over what schools should teach children about race and genr. “They’re jt ntug the fear mongerg om ssn, ” says Jon Harris Mrer, public policy director for Equaly Florida, scribg 2023 legislative chang that fall squarely to the more-of-the-same-homophobic-nonsense tegory. DeSantis support of anti-gay vio lled bad strategy, worse msage.

A provisn that would extend the famo “Don’t Say Gay” provisns to middle schools.

Florida needs more public officials to fd the urage to stand up to Florida’s self-signated emperor and say “Governor, for someone so foced on ‘Don’t Say Gay, ’ you sure seem to brg up a lot. Florida legislators nsirg "Don't Say Gay" bill that would bar LGBTQ discsns schools. The state's Senate and Hoe have proposed the Parental Rights Edutn bills — monly referred to the "Don't Say Gay" bills by crics — which would apply to such topics primary gra levels, as well as s where the discsns are emed "not age-appropriate.

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

" Ock, the print of her schools' Gay-Straight Alliance, said she first me out as lbian when she was 11 years old, and that havg support om her seventh gra English teacher at that time helped her bee more vol and open about her inty. A 2019 survey om The Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network (GLSEN) found that the school climate Florida is "not safe" for most LGBTQ stunts as is.

TEACHERS FEAR THE CHILLG EFFECT OF FLORIDA'S SO-LLED 'DON'T SAY GAY' LAW

Supporters gather for a Safe Schools South Florida & Friends rally to ph back agast the so-lled "Don't Say Gay" bill (HB 1557/SB 1834) at the Pri Center Wilton Manors on Feb.

FLORIDA TEACHER UNR VTIGATN FOR SHOWG DISNEY MOVIE WH GAY CHARACTER SAYS SHE DIDN’T KNOW LGBTQ RTRICTN APPLIED TO HER CLASS

"It will stop teachers and schools om talkg to kids about LGBTQ issu and will stop them om talkg about gay issu among themselv. 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.

Florida ernor Ron DeSantis signed the state’s much-discsed Parental Rights Edutn bill—much more equently lled the Don’t Say Gay bill—to law on Monday, makg the state the fifth the natn where tors and staff are explicly prohibed om discsg LGBTQ people and issu as part of curriculums public schools. Other active Don’t Say Gay tn bills exist Texas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Louisiana.

The prev s had, on the ntrary, seen the removal of several Don’t Say Gay statut ncerng public schools. Acrdg to The Hill, the state’s bill uld be jt the begng of a wave of new Don’t Say Gay legislatn for schools.

I’M A GAY KRGARTEN TEACHER FLORIDA. THE ARE THE QUTNS I’M ASKG MYSELF.

New wave of Don't Say Gay bills? Olr Don’t Say Gay laws had generally also rtricted stctn for all age levels, wh their wordg rangg om “homosexualy is not a liftyle acceptable to the general public” (Texas) to puttg LGBTQ sexualy the same tegory as tn about “current state laws related to sexual nduct, cludg forcible rape, statutory rape” (Mississippi), even though gay sex is no longer an offense the state as of 2003.