TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Board of Education on Wednesday approved a ban on classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding the Parental Rights in Education law at the request of Gov. Ron DeSantis as he gears up for an expected presidential run. Critics call it the “Don’t Say Gay” law.
The proposal will take effect after a procedural notice period that lasts about a month, according to an education department spokesman.
The rule change would ban lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity from grades 4-12, unless required by existing state standards or as part of reproductive health instruction that students can choose not to take. Florida currently bans such lessons in kindergarten through third grade.
Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said this is meant to clarify any confusion around the law that is already in place.
He said it also reinforces that teachers should not move away from already existing curriculums. Some lawmakers say this protects children.
“School is only so long,” Rep. Randy Fine, R-Brevard, told CNN. “There’s only so many minutes in a day, there’s only so many minutes in a year and every minute they waste on social indoctrination is a minute they haven’t spent teaching.”
The DeSantis administration put forward the proposal last month as part of the Republican's aggressive conservative agenda, with the governor leaning heavily into cultural divides ahead of his looming White House candidacy.
DeSantis has not commented on the proposal. He previously directed questions to Diaz, who said it was meant to clarify confusion around the existing law and reinforce that teachers should not deviate from existing curriculums.
“We’re not removing anything here,” Diaz said on Wednesday. “All we are doing is we are setting the expectations, so our teachers are clear: that they are to teach to the standards.”
The prohibition, which began last year with the law banning sexual orientation and gender identity lessons in kindergarten through third grade, has drawn intense backlash from critics who argue it marginalizes LGBTQ+ people and has vague terms that result in self-censorship from teachers. Democratic President Joe Biden has called it “hateful.”
The current law is also the root of an ongoing feud with Disney, one of the state’s largest employers and political donors.
“Let’s put it plainly: This is part of the governor’s assault on freedom," Joe Saunders, senior political director of the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida, said in a statement, adding the policy will “further stigmatize and isolate a population of young people who need our support now more than ever.”
The entertainment giant publicly opposed the legislation last year, and as punishment, DeSantis pushed lawmakers to give him control of a self-governing district that Disney oversees in its theme park properties.
Before a set of new DeSantis appointees could assume control of the district, Disney’s board passed restrictive covenants that strip the incoming members of most of their powers, blunting the governor’s retaliation.
DeSantis has directed the chief inspector general to investigate the Disney board’s move and vowed to take additional revenge against the company through legislation.
Several groups held a roundtable Wednesday around the same time the board of education approved the expansion.
The Human Rights Campaign and Equality Florida hosted it. Parents, some teachers and other advocates were a part of that discussion that lasted about 45 minutes.
They say this marginalizes LGBTQ+ people and the terms of the bill remain vague.
“What is happening right now is a power grab,” teacher Shari Gewanter said. “We are vilifying the LGBTQ+ community. We are vilifying educators. We are vilifying, specifically targeting the trans community. It is not going to do anything to help close achievement gaps to make our schools safer.”
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