Does the 'Don't Say Gay' Bill Say That?
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Opponents call it Florida's "don't say gay" bill, and the political branding seems to have worked, given how the mainstream press laundered that charged phrase into a national rallying cry. The legislation passed the Florida Senate on Tuesday, and it now awaits Gov. Ron DeSantis's signature.
What does the seven-page bill actually do? One section says schools generally "may not discourage or prohibit parental notification of and involvement in critical decisions affecting a student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being." Parents also can't be blocked from "education and health records created, maintained, or used by the school."
Another section says: “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.” Parents who think the law isn’t being followed could ask for the appointment of a magistrate to review the dispute. Or they could sue to get a declaratory judgment and attorney fees.
To millions of parents, this no doubt sounds noncontroversial. Their children’s mental health and school records are eminently their business. Kindergartners are supposed to be learning how to read and peaceably resolve turf wars over Tonka trucks. To their tiny ears, “sexual orientation” is a string of silly nonsense syllables. The bill says older children could be taught “age-appropriate” material.
Moreover, the curriculum rule would appear to have no immediate effect . “In practice,” the Tampa Bay Times reports, “it is unclear exactly how things will change in the classroom because sexual orientation and gender identity is not something that is being taught in grades K-3 at the moment.” If that’s the case, then why is everybody so riled up?
Earlier versions of the bill said that primary schools could not “encourage classroom discussion” about sexual orientation. Critics said this was vague. What if a teacher asked students to draw and describe their families, and one had two moms? Last month the House revised its bill to target “classroom instruction,” a narrower phrase. “The idea that we would ban a specific conversation a child is having about their parent is impossible,” the legislative sponsor said .
Yet the narrative train was speeding down the track already. Some reporters this week are still blithely quoting the wrong version of the bill. A Democratic lawmaker invokes “1984” and claims : “Not only might teachers be punished for allowing classroom discussion about a student’s own family structure, but children with LGBTQ+ family members will be ostracized and shamed.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki claimed that maybe the bill’s sponsors want to hurt children. “Why are Florida leaders deciding they need to discriminate against kids who are members of the LGBTQI community?” she said. “Is it meanness? Is it wanting to make kids have more difficult times in school?” Disney ’s CEO was buffaloed into taking a public stance against the legislation, which satisfied no one.
None of this criticism is true. The legislation is a response to public-school educators who think parents should stay out of school decisions. But parents have a right to ensure that the curriculum is age appropriate, and that it is focused on learning instead of promoting someone’s cultural agenda. The bill lets them vindicate parental authority.
The bigger lesson is that even modest conservative pushback on cultural issues will be met by a firestorm. The overwrought reaction shows why the bill passed.
Tags
Who is online
419 visitors
The need for this bill is clear: the left has embedded itself into school systems in parts of the US that it will take years to uproot and enact change.
This bill offers a bit of prevention.
This bill only uproots gay teachers out of schools.
Which will not improve public education in Florida!
FALSE
How can a Florida public school elementary teacher be openly gay after this law passes?
Oh, it won't just be gay teachers rooted out.
Teacher of all stripes will resign in protest...
Please point out where in the bill that the uprooting of gay teachers and pushing them out of schools is written.
I think (at least hope) we can agree that very young children (ages 5 to 9) have brains that are still physically growing and maturing. They are also still in their peak learning mode. They are not yet developed to understand their own version of sex and gender. From what I can see in this bill all it is really doing is that children that young should not be lectured on sex and gender, older children can be taught but it must be age appropriate and in a boost for parental rights the parents cannot be kept out of the knowledge of what their children are being taught.
Kids understand equality and fairness just fine!
You're still not pointing out where the bill states that teachers cannot be openly gay, or any section that will force teachers to resign in protest. And not directly teaching about gender to the very young, how is this preventing the ability to understand equality and fairness? All the bill states is that it cannot be a lesson, a student discussion is still allowed. A student can draw a picture of his/her family even if the family is two mommies or two daddies.. that's not prevented by this bill. So where in the bill are all these problems?
TBH, all you seem to be tossing out are sound bites from the opposition but not showing any real issues.
It is a stupid probably unconstitutional and discriminatory unnecessary misbegotten, did I say stupid?, trainwreck of a really bad law...
The result? Hurt for Florida school teachers!
This is the pertinent portion of the bill according to CNN. It's fairly clear in a simple sentence. The only piece that might be vague is " or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards." because it is not always clear what is age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for children who are older than 9 (grade 3). Some children mature faster, some slower.
But for your comment...
Stupid - you own personal opinion. Obviously I have a different approach.
Unconstitutional - that's for the courts to decide. I don't see it that way.
Discriminatory - not seeing discrimination in this at all, can you help point that out.
Unnecessary misbegotten - We have for years had teachers who teach to meet the requirements of standardized tests rather than to teach the students to the best of their abilities. I don't completely fault the teachers for this, federal money has been tied to meeting the standardized tests. But if you are teaching to meet the requirements of a standardized test then how are you teaching them to think? Teachers only have students for so many hours a day/year. What's more important for children at these early years, is it to learn the building blocks for math and reading, to learn how to read and understand what you have read, or is it more important to learn about their different choices in gender identity?
And you still haven't shown how Florida school teachers are hurt by this law. I hope you are not meaning that they are potentially hurt by having to keep parents in the loop on what is being taught to their children. Please expand on this to make your meaning clear.
So you don't care about misinforming kids?
Do you have any kids?
Disinform? The truth is that some of the best teachers both male and female, often now legally married with children, must go back into the closet with students and coworkers to comply with this law and that is far from truth. Children can and do deal with the truth already.
Bullshit - plain and simple bullshit. The bill does not force openly gay teachers to go back into the closet. If it was true you would be able to show where that is even implied in the law but you cannot so all you can do is continue to regurgitate false talking points.
Now that men can get pregnant according to the Surgeon General, anything is possible.
Hard to believe that any educated person would truly believe this nonsense. Perhaps the public school system should spend more time on teaching kids how to recognize inflammatory propaganda. Apparently it is warranted.
Do they need to be openly gay? I've never had a reason to advertise my sexuality.
What's a valid reason or purpose for discussing family make up or sexuality at school anyway...especially in the early grades.
Have you ever had to hide your life to work?
Gay marriage is legal. It isn't a secret anymore.
That is probably what Axis Annie said about all the anti-Jewish Laws they passed in Germany...
Your problem is this is not an anti gay statute.
But carry on with the hyperbole.
Teachers have the same rights as everyone else. The law protects students.
Good. Let us replace them with some good teachers.
Bullshit!
It's not about who a teacher is, IT'S ABOUT WHAT'S BEING TAUGHT!
It make a public school teacher answering a child's question in class a fireable offense...
False.
Your own seed says that NO sex education was being taught to K-3rd grade Vic.
That's such bullshit.
You want to be openly gay as a teacher?
Go for it. No one here in Florida gives a damn.
Just don't preach it to our kids.
Most of them will be liberal and probably shouldn't be indoctrinating.....er...teaching our children.
You seem to hallucinate that you know the bill.
Show us where in the bill does it say no one is allowed to say gay.
Actually, they don't.
It's titled the 'Parents Rights in Education', NOT the 'Students Rights in Education'.
You just contradicted your seed Vic.
It states:
Kinda like anti CRT laws.
Most loon libs claim CRT is not being taught in school, so why are they so riled up when anti CRT laws are passed?
Disney’s statement on this was telling. This is the same Disney who fired their American employees and replaced them with green card immigrants. Demanded that they train the new employees in order to receive their severance pay.
Disney’s practices have become a disgrace. They have bought into the woke anti-America BS. Walt would be appalled.
You're with the throwback against DISNEY LAND?
Ever wonder if you're on the wrong side of history?
Can’t say that I do.
Considering the billions Disney makes can they not cough up enough to pay their American employees a decent salary? They hire cheap foreign labor and toss Americans into the street.
These large woke American corporations like to do that.
You must be proud of the woke policies.
You think a billlon dollar corporation with all sorts of skeletons in its closet is the arbiter of morality? Wow.
I think Disney Land is a Family Fun Park.
Kids of all ages believe in fairies there...
Have at it. Just rename Florida as Gilead first...
Why can't Christians just leave gay people alone?
They need someone's neck to put their boots on.
Then why can't parents allow their children to wear masks? DeSantis openly was hostile to a group of students asking them to take off their masks which caused a parental outcry about his dismissive comments and behavior. So right wing politicians can demand to usurp parental control over masks?
If any of this culture war garbage was about parental control, then parents who want their children to wear masks due to health reasons should be able to do so without right wing harassment.