“The bill that liberals inaccurately call ‘Don’t Say Gay’ would be more accurately described as an Anti-Grooming Bill,” Pushaw wrote.
In a series of tweets, DeSantis’ press secretary Christina Pushaw earlier this month likened the bill’s opponents to pedophiles, claiming that, without the bill, kindergarten to third-grade classrooms will continue to act as a breeding ground for “grooming.”
“Instead of being force fed the left’s points on gender and sex, young students in Florida can focus on learning how to read and write.” “The Florida legislature has stepped up to protect students,” he said. While international media outlets, LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, Hollywood actors and even the White House have condemned the law as hateful and discriminatory, supporters have repeatedly argued that the legislation aims to strengthen the rights of parents and protect young children from being “indoctrinated.”Īmerica is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.ĭesantis several times called instruction around gender identity and sexual orientation the “gender bread man,” a reference to an educational tool. Educators of all grade levels are prohibited from engaging in instruction on those topics in a manner that is not “age appropriate or developmentally appropriate” for children.
Under the now-law, introduced in January in the state House of Representatives, classroom instruction related to sexual orientation or gender identity will be restricted in the state’s primary schools. The governor, standing behind a podium reading “Protect Children” and “Support Parents,” also claimed to have found at least six school districts in Florida had policies to “ cut parents out of decisions regarding their child’s well being.”Ĭlassical Preparatory will not be affected by the governor’s action because it is a charter school. It will take effect July 1.ĭeSantis during a signing ceremony at Classical Preparatory School in Spring Hill, Fla., said he’s seen “ classroom materials about sexuality and woke gender ideology” and “libraries with clearly inappropriate, pornographic mature materials for very young kids.”
Ron DeSantis (R) on Monday signed the state’s controversial Parental Rights in Education bill - known to its critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill - into law. While “Don’t Say Gay,” officially titled the Parental Rights in Education bill, has been denounced by opponents as hateful, supporters have argued that the legislation seeks to strengthen the rights of parents and shield children from classroom “indoctrination.”įlorida Gov.Under the law, primary school teachers will be barred from classroom instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity, while educators of all grade levels will be prohibited from instruction on those topics that is not “age appropriate or developmentally appropriate” for their students.Ron DeSantis (R) has signed the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law. "You just answered the question based on gender," Singleton said. "According to your amendment, they won’t be able to answer the question that way. "Little Johnny, you're a boy," Shelnutt said. Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton asked Shelnutt how a teacher should respond if "little Johnny" asked if he was a boy or a girl. Shelnutt amendment would extend that to fifth grade in Alabama.Īlabama State Senate Democrats said the amendment addressed a nonexistent issue and could ban ordinary conversations. Florida's bill bans the instruction of "sexual orientation or gender identity" from kindergarten through third grade, even though the topics are not taught in those grades in the state. The language is similar to a Florida bill that critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill. "You know, they should be talking about math, science (and) writing, especially in elementary school." "We just don't think it's appropriate to be talking about homosexuality and gender identity," Shelnutt said.