Florida Governor Signals Support For Anti-LGBTQ School Bill

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signaled his support for a bill that would prohibit the mention of sexual orientation and gender identity in the state’s primary schools, while the White House make clear its opposition to the anti-LGBTQ legislation. https://twitter.com/NBCOUT/status/1491114229646393344 From NBC News:

Asked by reporters at a Miami event Monday, he said it was “entirely inappropriate” for teachers to be having conversations with students about gender identity, citing instances of them telling children, “Don’t worry, don’t pick your gender yet,” and also “hiding” classroom lessons from parents.

“Schools need to be teaching kids to read, to write,” DeSantis said. “They need to teach them science, history. We need more civics and understanding of the U.S. Constitution, what makes our country unique, all those basic stuff.”

“The larger issue with all of this is parents must have a seat at the table when it comes to what’s going on in their schools,” he added.

Identical bills in both chambers of Florida’s legislature have been approved out of committees. Opponents say the bill would be detrimental to the mental health of the state’s LGBTQ children and teachers, preventing them from openly talking about themselves and their families. For instance, if a third grader has two dads, he would not be allowed to be a part of class discussions regarding family holiday celebrations or the like. https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1491182851919908873 White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz issued this statement making the Biden administration’s opposition to the legislation clear.

“Every parent hopes that our leaders will ensure their children’s safety, protection, and freedom. Today, conservative politicians in Florida rejected those basic values by advancing legislation that is designed to target and attack the kids who need support the most — LGBTQI+ students, who are already vulnerable to bullying and violence just for being themselves.

“But make no mistake — this is not an isolated action. Across the country, we’re seeing Republican leaders take actions to regulate what students can or cannot read, what they can or cannot learn, and most troubling, who they can or cannot be. This is politics at its worse, cynically using our students as pawns in political warfare. At every step of the way, Republicans have peddled in cheap, political attacks, instead of focusing on the issues parents, students, and teachers care about.

“Instead of making growing up even harder for our young people, President Biden and his administration are focused on keeping schools open, providing resources to combat learning loss, and supporting students’ mental health. The difference in leadership could not be more stark, and the Biden-Harris administration will not shy away from holding leaders accountable for dangerous actions that hurt our nation’s students.

 “Just imagine what it would feel like to be a kid watching the leaders in your state bully you through legislation that tries to erase your existence. These types of attacks are the root cause of the mental health crisis that LGBTQI+ face.

“The president wants LGBTQI+ young people who may be feeling scared or alone because of these legislative attacks to know that they are loved exactly for who they are, and that he won’t stop fighting for the protections and safety they deserve.”