Octavio Jones Getty Images Florida Gov. Ron de Sandis on Monday signed into law a ban on discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in state public schools, a controversial policy that opponents have called a “Do Not Say Homosexual” bill. The Walt Disney Company immediately condemned the legislation and promised to help repeal it. Opposition among business leaders is slowly building momentum this month as it passes through the Republican-controlled Florida Senate. Starbucks, Nordstrom and Pinterest are among 45 companies that earlier this month quietly signed a two-year report widely condemning LGBTQ legislation. The newest signatories include retail companies Target, Mattel and Lululemon, according to the latest version of the report, which has more than 200 signatures. Sony Interactive Entertainment, Deutsche Bank USA, Hyatt Group Hotels & Resort, Yahoo! and Shutterstock have also added their names in recent weeks. The Florida measure has come to the forefront of national politics in recent months, drawing strong criticism from the LGBTQ community, Hollywood, Democrats and the White House. The vote comes as a flurry of anti-LGBTQ bills is spreading in many states, leaving supporters fearing that already marginalized groups are in danger of being harmed. DeSantis said he supported the bill because parental rights “are increasingly being attacked across the nation, but in Florida we are defending parental rights and the fundamental role they play in educating their children.” He said parents “should also be protected from schools that use classroom instruction to sexualize their children from the age of five”, according to a statement released by his office. The Governor of Florida, USA, Ron Desantis, speaks at the Conservative Policy Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, February 24, 2022. Octavio Jones Reuters With the official title of the bill “Parental rights in education”, the new law enters into force in July. It forbids “discussing in class about sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten until the third grade or “in a way that is not age-appropriate”. The bill also gives parents the right to take legal action if they believe that a school’s procedures violate their “fundamental right” to make decisions about “raising and controlling their children.” DeSantis, the bill’s sponsors, and other Republicans said the measure was necessary to give parents oversight of what students learn and discuss at school, calling it “inappropriate to introduce such issues as transgender in a kindergarten classroom.” But opponents have argued that the Florida bill is vaguely worded and that it could give way to lawsuits from parents who believe any discussion of LGBTQ people or issues is inappropriate. LGBTQ supporters criticized the new law. The Campaign for Human Rights said DeSantis “once again put Florida on the wrong side of history and put its young voters at immediate risk – and did so for no other reason than to serve its own political ambitions.” according to a statement issued by the team. “We are heading into a new reality where LGBTQ + students may be wondering if they are even allowed to recognize their sexuality or gender identity. “A reality where LGBTQ + school staff can be banned as much as mentioning their loved ones,” interim president Johnny Madison said in a statement. The human rights group also cited evidence that young LGBTQ people already face “real threats and obstacles that they must overcome, such as high rates of bullying, harassment or assault at school.” The revelers celebrate on 7th Avenue during the Tampa Pride Parade in the Ybor City neighborhood on March 26, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. The Tampa Pride was held in the wake of the passing of the controversial Florida bill “Do not say homosexuals”. Octavio Jones Getty Images Many of the nearly four dozen companies that signed the petition this month have been relatively silent on the recent wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation in the US so far. Their signatures come as Disney faces strong reactions to its initial silence on the Florida bill. “The current political climate across the country is so toxic in protecting our community and Florida is not immune,” said Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, in a press release. “It is vital that businesses that uphold the values ​​of diversity and integration of the LGBTQ + community by participating in our Pride Celebrations use their voices at a time when our community is under attack,” Smith said. The Human Rights Campaign and Freedom For All Americans first published the report in 2020 to address dozens of anti-LGBTQ bills introduced across the United States at the time. Signatures tripled to more than 150 by early 2022 government meetings in January, according to Jessica Shortall, director of corporate engagement at Freedom For All Americans. The report also saw an increase in signatures in February and March of this year. Several companies “with a large presence in Florida” added their names to the request on February 28, a few days after the passage of the bill by the state House “Do not say homosexuals”. Among the new signatories were United Airlines, Oracle and IHG Hotels & Resorts, which represent tens of thousands of employees in Florida, according to the HRC. Shortall said it was not just the Florida bill that pushed companies to provide support. Lawmakers in Alabama, Iowa, Texas and Arizona have recently introduced or adopted anti-LGBTQ policies. The Alabama State Senate last month criminalized transgender medical services for transgender youth. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, in late February, also instructed Child Protection Services to open child abuse investigations into parents who provide gender-based care to their trans children, he added. In early March, Iowa became the first state to ban trans student-athletes from playing sports based on their gender identity. The Arizona House also passed a similar bill Thursday that seeks to ban trans children from playing sports with their peers, just three weeks after it was passed by the Senate. “So much attention has been paid to the Florida bill. But from the end of February to about March, the situation in Texas and countless other attempts to attack LGBTQ people continue,” Sorthal said.