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This is blanketing language that could extend the block past students in third grade, which is a main point of contention for those advocating against the bill.Īnother issue that critics raise is the bill’s use of words like “instruction,” “gender identity,” and “sexual orientation” but no inclusion of definitions for those words. This vagueness rests in the bill’s blocking of instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity that is not “age appropriate or developmental appropriate” according to state standards. LGBTQ rights advocates didn’t miss it, though, and the bill’s passage in Florida’s legislature has caused quite the uproar.īeyond the specific identification of students between kindergarten and third grade, the language of the third provision is pretty vague, leaving it up for different interpretations if passed and enforced in Florida courts. If you don’t read the entire bill closely, the provision can be easy to miss. The bill itself is pretty short: seven pages of language that primarily lay out the rights that Florida parents have to be informed and make decisions about their children’s “mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being.” But buried in provisions that most people would likely agree upon is provision three, which prevents “classroom instruction … on sexual orientation or gender identity” for students between kindergarten and third grade. “Dont Say Gay” is a moniker for the bill that critics began using in protest of its passage earlier this month.
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What Does the Parental Rights in Education Bill Say?įirst things first: The Parental Rights in Education bill does not prevent anyone from saying the word “gay”-in schools or otherwise. So what’s this bill about? Does it really prevent people from saying the word “gay” in Florida schools? Let’s take a closer look at the bill’s language and journey through some implications if it officially becomes law. The debate has gotten so heated that Disney, Florida’s largest employer, is now embroiled in the conflict, spurring walkouts by Disney employees protesting the bill and Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s stance.
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For others, the bill is a violation of LGBTQ rights and an erasure of LGBTQ identities. For some, the bill is a much-needed measure that maintains parents’ rights to teach their young children about LGBTQ communities and topics at home instead of in school. The law made it through Florida’s Senate and House of Representatives and is now awaiting official signature by Governor Ron DeSantis. Florida is the scene of an intense debate over LGBTQ rights and elementary education curriculum with the recent passage of the Parental Rights in Education bill, known by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.