‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Targeting Schools Advances In FL House

FLORIDA — Florida’s proposed controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill continues to advance through the state Legislature, passing the House Judiciary Committee in a 13-7 vote on Thursday.

It was a contentious day of debate surrounding House Bill 1557, which has been dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Florida Politics reported.

The bill initially moved forward after being passed by the House Education and Employment Committee in January, according to The Hill. The full house could vote on the bill as early as next week. Meanwhile, a companion bill has also been introduced in the state Senate.

If passed, the “Don’t Say Gay” measure would limit discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida’s elementary schools and restrict how these topics could be discussed by older grades.

It also opens the doors for parents to sue Florida schools if these discussions take place, and it requires schools to alert parents if there’s any change to a student’s mental, emotional or physical health.

“The concern is that there is instruction that could continue to push, and lead to, whether you want to say it’s stress, on that child to have discussion in those ages,"said Rep. Joe Harding, who introduced the bill. "Focus should be on reading and math and the basics that come with being in kindergarten to third grade.”

Many opponents of the bill have called out its vague language, saying that it can be interpreted in many different ways, according to WINK News.

“This bill is a Trojan horse,” said Rep. Mike Grieco, a Democrat. “Comments in this committee and comments from the sponsor of the bill have been that ‘This is limited to kindergarten through third, we’re talking about 6-year-olds' — but that’s not what the language says.”

Another Democratic representative, Fentrice Driskell, said that the bill’s “anti-gay rhetoric” is “suppressive.”

Equality Florida, a nonprofit LGBTQ+ advocacy group, has slammed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

“The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which bans discussion of LGBTQ people or issues in primary grades, would further stigmatize the LGBTQ community, chill efforts to create inclusive school environments, and isolate LGBTQ kids who are already at staggeringly higher risk of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation than their peers,” the organization said in a statement.

Advocates with the Human Rights Watch have also spoken out against the bill, saying that if the law goes into effect, “Florida is moving in the wrong direction.”

“Teachers should not fear punishment if they celebrate diversity or let kids know that it’s okay to be LGBT," one researcher with the organization said, "and students should not be cut off from affirming information and support.”