Posted on by Randy Slovacek

Florida Teen Defies ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law, Teaches Stonewall History To High School Class

Non-binary teen Will Larkin teaches their high school class about the Stonewall uprising in spite of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law

Will Larkins, a gay and nonbinary junior in Winter Park, Florida,  has gone viral  teaching their U.S. history class about the 1969 Stonewall uprising in spite of the state’s anti-LGBTQ “Don’t Say Gay” law.

Larkins shared a video clip on Twitter writing, “LGBTQ American history is not taught in Floridas public schools, so I took it upon myself to explain the events of the Stonewall Uprising to my 4th period US history class. #SayGayAnyway.”

The new law bars discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through grade 3 and requires “age-appropriate” discussion after that while not defining what that actually constitutes.

Larkins has been very vocal in speaking out against the homophobic legislation including penning an op-ed for the New York Times, organizing a huge school walkout, and testifying against the bill before the state Senate.

From Larkins’ NY Times op-ed:

“When I look back to elementary school, I wonder how different my childhood would have been had my classmates and I known that I wasn’t some tragic anomaly, a strange fluke that needed to be fixed.

“People in support of the bill always ask, ‘Why do these subjects need to be taught in schools?’ To them I would say that if we understand ourselves, and those around us understand us, so many lives will be saved.”