LGBTQ+ Fears Justified: DeSantis to Expand "Don't Say Gay" Bill

Photo byPhoto by: Gage Skidmore

LGBTQ+ communities are witnessing their worst nightmares come to light.

Florida Governor has moved to expand his "Don't Say Gay" measures. And if he's already pushing forward on expansion only months after the initial bill passed, why would he stop now?

Following DeSantis's request to make the measures stronger, The Florida Board of Education approved a new expansion of the "Don't Say Gay" statute

The bill now forbids teachings about sexual orientation and gender identity across all grades.

According to a representative for the education department, the proposal will take effect roughly a month after the procedural notice period.

Lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity would be prohibited from grades 4-12 unless mandated by state standards or included in reproductive health training that students can opt out of.

Such lessons are now forbidden in Florida schools. The DeSantis administration introduced the plan last month as a part of the Republican party's conservative agenda.

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DeSantis had previously questioned Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., who said that it was intended to dispel ambiguity surrounding the current law and reaffirm that teachers shouldn't vary from the set curriculum.

The restriction, which went into effect last year with a law prohibiting lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten until third grade, has sparked a fierce outcry from opponents who claim it marginalizes LGBTQ+ individuals and has ambiguous language that causes teachers to self-censor. Biden, a Democrat, referred to it as "hateful."

A long-running dispute with Disney, one of the state's biggest employers and a major political donor, is also a result of the existing statute.

Last year, the media mogul openly opposed the proposal. As retaliation, DeSantis urged legislators to grant him control over a self-governing district that Disney supervises in its theme park properties.

What do you think about DeSantis rushing to expand the "Don't Say Gay" bill?

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