Florida passed a law banning the discussion of sexual orientation and sex identity in the classrooms of the primary school.
The bill, dubbed “Don’t say gay” by its critics, stops school districts from encouraging any discussion of topics in a way that is inappropriate for students.
Opponents of the law, which was passed by the House of Representatives on Thursday by 69 to 47 votes, warn it would mean that LGBTQ’s identity, history and culture will be erased.
And on the White House criticized the law, which is expected to take effect on July 1st, and said it was “intended to attack” LGBT youth.
The bill, dubbed “Don’t say gay” by its critics, stops school districts from encouraging any discussion on topics in a way that is inappropriate for students.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said schools should avoid “completely inappropriate” topics and teach science and history instead.
This comes after a new Gallup poll last week found that more than twice as many Americans in the United States say they identify as LGBTQ than they did a decade ago.
A record 7.1 percent of Americans identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendera percentage that has risen from 3.5 percent of Americans in 2012. It has been steadily rising since the poll began.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said schools should avoid “completely inappropriate” topics and teach science and history instead, according to BBC.
Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, said: “What we are seeing is the systematic deletion or elimination of resources for young people and the order imposed on teachers.”
The bill was passed after an amendment that would require schools to “take out” their parents’ students if they identify as LGBTQ within six weeks was withdrawn on Tuesday.
This comes after a new Gallup poll last week found that more than twice as many Americans in the United States say they identify as LGBTQ than they did a decade ago.
The amendment, proposed by Republican Joe Harding on Friday, was withdrawn from a controversial bill that has been criticized by LGBTQ groups and President Joe Biden as “dangerous”, “deeply fanatical” and “hated”.
And the bill even allows parents to sue school districts that encourage talking about such issues.
DeSantis said: “Parents need to take a seat at the table when it comes to what is happening in their schools.”
Shane Medley told NY Daily News“Florida’s Don’t Say Gay bill reflects another attempt to censor discussions in schools about people and issues that conservative legislators don’t favor, under the guise of parental rights.”
The bill was passed in Florida just one month after English teacher Loris Caldeira at Buena Vista High School in Sprekel’s, California, was stopped after she and fellow teacher Kelly Baraki, 39, were recorded in a discussion about “stalking.” students online to find recruits for You Be Your Club.
The couple also encourages students to keep discussions hidden from their parents.
Lori Caldeira was removed from her post at Buena Vista Middle School in Sprekel’s, California, after she and her fellow teacher Kelly Baraki were recorded to discuss how students were “stalking” online.
Teacher Kelly Baraki, 39, slammed the door of her home in Salinas, California, when DailyMail.com approached her and asked her to give her version of events.
Last December, mother Jessica Conen accused the couple of encouraging their daughter to think she was a trans boy when she was in school in 2019 – only to return the child to her female persona while studying remotely during Covid-19 pandemic.
The You Be You Club has since been closed by the school with 360 students, while Caldeira and Baraki have been suspended pending an investigation. “The staff concerned has been placed on administrative leave,” a statement from the school district said.
Konen has now filed a lawsuit against the school and the two seventh-grade teachers, claiming that they kept her daughter’s fake trance identity a secret from her and hid the fact that she had suicidal thoughts. Now the girl is studying in a high school in another area.
In her court documents, Koren says that her daughter, identified by her initials, AG, found it difficult to distance learning, “but she had a silver lining – because AG was at home all day, she was no longer in the hands of Mr. Mrs. Caldiera (sic) and Mrs. Baraki. Freed from their influence, AG began to return to her old self.