Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing for his controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which had banned any mentions of LGBTQ people in K-3rd grade classrooms, to encompass all levels of public schooling through high school graduation.
The proposal, titled, “Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida,” will criminalize educating students on topics of sexual orientation or gender identity. Teachers found violating this rule may have their teaching licenses revoked. The exception to this rule is in lessons specially ordained by the state or in lessons on reproductive health. Parents will have the option to opt their children out of the lessons concerning these topics and are permitted to sue teachers for violating this code.
This new proposal does not require legislative approval. The State Board of Education will vote on the proposal on April 19.
Florida’s State Board of Education has historically voted in favor of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ rules, in addition to the highly contested ban on “critical race theory” in Florida classrooms they approved in 2021. The Board has previously voted in favor of expanding DeSantis’ “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and last October the Board of Education favored a ruling which threatens teachers with termination for defying the previously enacted law. The law’s original language had not specified consequences for individual teachers.
Brandon Wolf, the spokesperson for Equality Florida, describes the bill as part of a “larger, disturbing trend” of conservatives pulling “every lever of government to censor conversations of LGBTQ people.” He goes on to say that the goal seems to be to write LGBTQ people out of society.
DeSantis signed the infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law last March. Florida is among seven other states which have approved similar legislation. Additional states require parental notification if LGBTQ related topics are included in school curriculums.
Photo Credit: @Jack_Petocz on Twitter
