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Florida legislature passes bill to restrict LGBTQ topics in elementary schools

cigaretteman

HR King
May 29, 2001
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The Florida Senate on Tuesday passed controversial legislation that regulates lessons about sexual orientation and gender identity in public school classrooms, despite concerns from activists and student groups that argued the bill would have a chilling impact on gay, lesbian and transgender students.
The legislation, which Florida Democrats and LGBTQ activist refer to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, now advances to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). In recent days, DeSantis has indicated he will likely sign the legislation, saying it is designed to shield Florida’s youngest students from exposure to sensitive topics in the classroom.
“We are going to make sure parents are able to send their kid to kindergarten without having some of this stuff injected into some of their school curriculum,” DeSantis said at a news conference Monday.
As Fla. lawmakers push to limit LGBTQ discussions in schools, Orlando vows to keep teaching its history
The bill, officially called the Parental Rights in Education bill, would prohibit Florida schools from teaching students in kindergarten through third grade about topics involving sexual orientation or gender identity.
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Lessons for older grades would have to be “age appropriate,” which Democrats argue is a vague way of stifling all conversations about LGBTQ issues. Republicans downplayed that risk, saying the legislation prevents “planned lessons” but does not ban discussions between students or prevent teachers from answering specific questions from a student.
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The Equality Act is a positive step forward for the LGBTQ community. But it came with swift backlash from conservative lawmakers. (Monica Rodman, Sarah Hashemi/The Washington Post)
The measure also allows parents to sue school districts if they feel their child has received an inappropriate lesson. Democrats warned that could lead to a wave lawsuits against cash-strapped school systems.
“This is a direct attack on the Florida’s LGTBQ community, and that is not okay,” Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book (D) said during Tuesday’s debate.
The 22-to-17 vote Tuesday, which was largely along party lines, comes after days of emotional debate on school grounds, corporate boardrooms, and in the Florida Senate over the legislation.

Last week, students at dozens of Florida schools walked out their classes to protest the legislation. Several corporate leaders also spoke out against the legislation.
Advocates march at a rally at the Walt Disney Company in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Images for AIDS Healthcare Foundation)
On Monday, during initial debate over the bill on the Senate floor, Sen. Shevrin “Shrev” Jones (D) broke down while urging his colleagues to vote against the legislation. Jones, who in 2018 became the Florida Senate’s first openly gay member, spoke about how hard it was for him to come out to his father, who is a pastor in South Florida.
“It just seems like in politics today, we have gone down a road where we are scared to just step up and makes sure we are not hurting people,” Jones said through tears.
Democrats, meanwhile, remain outraged over comments that DeSantis’s spokeswoman Christina Pushaw made on Twitter last week. Pushaw suggested that only “groomers” would oppose the legislation, an apparent reference to child predators.
“The bill that liberals inaccurately call ‘Don’t Say Gay’ would be more accurately described as Anti-Grooming Bill,” Pushaw wrote, adding “If you’re against the anti-Grooming bill, you are probably a groomer or at least you don’t denounce the grooming of 4- to 8-year-old children. Silence is complicity. This is how it works, Democrats, and I didn’t make the rules.”
During Tuesday’s debate, Book and others lashed out at Pushaw, saying her comments were an insulting betrayal to the state’s LGBTQ residents.
“The governors communications director accused us of being pedophiles for being again this bill. Boy oh boy, I got news for you, you cant teach gay and you sure can’t pray away gay,” said Sen. Gary M. Farmer (D).
Sen. Randolph Bracy (D) accused his Republican colleagues of engaging in a “culture war against the LGBTQ community” in hopes of furthering DeSantis’s political career. DeSantis has been widely mentioned as a possible GOP presidential candidate in 2024.
“I actually appreciate the discipline, and sometimes I wish our party would do the same thing,” Bracy said, while looking at his GOP colleagues. “But in your effort to elect Ron DeSantis and send him to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I just ask you is it worth it? Is it worth it if one child is affected by this legislation? Is it worth a child being outed or bullied or potentially becoming suicidal?"
Sen. Ileana Garcia (R) countered that children have their entire lives to sort out their sexual orientation or gender identity, so there is no need to have “tough conversations” in elementary school. "This is not about targeting, this is about re-routing responsibility back to the parents and allowing children to be children,” she said.
But Democrats argue the legislation will hurt gay Floridians and risk the state’s reputation around the world.
“Who in the world have we become? Who in Florida have we become?” asked Sen. Janet Cruz (D), who noted she has a daughter who is gay who was in the chamber to watch the floor debate. " I feel like I had a dream of a bad version of ‘Back to the Future.’ I mean, there is no time machine here. We can’t roll back 40 years, we are here."
 
Yeah heterosexual topics shouldn't be discussed K-3 either. JR. High in sex ed class is about right for all topics IMO.
But hetero will be discussed. They will have zero problems talking about mommies and daddies but not mommies and mommies and daddies and daddies.
 
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How is a waste of tax dollars if it's not a problem?
This isn't a problem. So why are the Rs making such a big deal about this?

All this shows me is that the Rs can't do real problem solving so must invent problems and then pretend to solve those instead. It's just more disappointing proof on how far the GOP has fallen.
 
How is a waste of tax dollars if it's not a problem?
Because the legislature spent time passing a bill for a problem that doesn't exist just to keep the culture wars burning hot. Why not spend that time passing bills that actually improve the lives of Floridians?
 
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Florida seems to be in a competition to see who can write and pass the most unconstitutional law ever.
 
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This isn't a problem. So why are the Rs making such a big deal about this?

All this shows me is that the Rs can't do real problem solving so must invent problems and then pretend to solve those instead. It's just more disappointing proof on how far the GOP has fallen.
You mean like spending 2 billion dollars to acknowledge womens achievements?
 
Also, why are all these Republican lead states suddenly passing laws over this totally non existent issue? Florida, Iowa, and Texas have all passed laws in just the last few weeks. This can't be coincidental.
 
Also, why are all these Republican lead states suddenly passing laws over this totally non existent issue? Florida, Iowa, and Texas have all passed laws in just the last few weeks. This can't be coincidental.
Because a culture war is their only agenda. Check out these campaign adds for a former Husker running for governor in Nebraska 3boysmom shared.

Watching the ads on tv for governor of Nebraska and it is truly frightening that one of these bozos will actually be in charge of an entire state. It's almost as if they are a caricature. Fighting against the "Radical Transgender agenda" WtAf?? Guns, good. Brown people and the gays? bad bad bad.

This guy isn't even the one that Trump endorsed. Lord help us and get me the f* out of here.





 
Because a culture war is their only agenda. Check out these campaign adds for a former Husker running for governor in Nebraska 3boysmom shared.
The irritating thing is that Republicans in all these states, including Iowa, are spending their time holding meeting after meeting with other R lead states for this bullshit issue rather than spending time on real issues. It is a complete waste of time.
 
For you Neanderthals that don't actually read the legislations you complain about, the 7 page piece of legislation contains this (and only this in 7 pages) -

"Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."

So for those that can't figure things out, like Huey, this does not exclude "talking about mommie and mommie"
 
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For you Neanderthals that don't actually read the legislations you complain about, the 7 page piece of legislation contains this (and only this in 7 pages) -

"Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."

So for those that can't figure things out, like Huey, this does not exclude "talking about mommie and mommie"
I'm willing to bet that it does exclude mommy and mommy. If one kid has a question about why there are two mommies, your claim goes right out the window.
 
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Defending teacher's rights to explain to a 6 year old boy about cutting his Johnson off, is a mighty big flex.

Some of you people disgust me...
 
K thru 3rd grade.

The bill has been mischaracterized by the media, and more than a few here.
Do you think it ends here? One of the great ploys is to start a crusade with passionate pleas to SAVE THE CHILDREN!!! I saw that DeSantis took time out of his day to yell at a reporter over this issue. How Trumpian.
It will not end here. It’s just a starting point. The next session there will be another bit of legislation moving the needle another notch.
 
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K thru 3rd grade.

The bill has been mischaracterized by the media, and more than a few here.
I guess these folks are supporting five year old kindergarten kids having transgender education-lets them off the hook as to parents being in charge of the how/when/why their children are ready to learn about these things?
The bill addresses k-3 curriculum ONLY.
What sort of curriculum is approved for Iowa’s little ones by the way?
 
I'm willing to bet that it does exclude mommy and mommy. If one kid has a question about why there are two mommies, your claim goes right out the window.
So, once again, the person always asking for proof and links and studies about things that are pure common sense, is here pulling bullshit conjecture out of the air in hopes nobody notices.
 
Because the legislature spent time passing a bill for a problem that doesn't exist just to keep the culture wars burning hot. Why not spend that time passing bills that actually improve the lives of Floridians?
Do you know what is being taught in Florida schools?

Do you know if there's a trend in teaching sexual topics in lower grades?

Would you prefer to wait for a problem to appear before addressing it?
 
Also, why are all these Republican lead states suddenly passing laws over this totally non existent issue? Florida, Iowa, and Texas have all passed laws in just the last few weeks. This can't be coincidental.
Don`t worry, this is not a problem.
 
Do you know what is being taught in Florida schools?

Do you know if there's a trend in teaching sexual topics in lower grades?

Would you prefer to wait for a problem to appear before addressing it?
Unlike you, I spent my career teaching PK through 2nd grade students. I also served as the elementary guidance counselor for K-6 students. I can tell you from experience that the only time any sexuality was mentioned it was brought up by the kids and teachers responded in an age appropriate manner. The only sex ed they received was when the boys and girls were separated to have the you're growing up discussion about puberty changes in 5th grade which parents were informed about and could opt out of or attend themselves.

I've been retired now for 5 years, but I can assure you that with the amount of expectations placed on elementary teachers teaching anything about sexuality should be the least of parental concerns.
 
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I'm willing to bet that it does exclude mommy and mommy. If one kid has a question about why there are two mommies, your claim goes right out the window.
I’m going out on a limb that’s probably not even very long Huey and say that it wouldn’t surprise me at all that a five or six year old child in some Florida classroom has already told a classmate or two that he has two Dads or two Moms. Either at lunch or on the playground or in sharing time in class.
All a teacher has to say if it comes up is that every family is special and they love their children and move on. If the adult in the room is cool with it then kids that age almost always take their cue from the adult and think nothing of it.
 
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