TALLAHASSEE, Florida (AP) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday banning sex education and gender identity teaching in kindergarten through elementary school, a policy that has sparked strong national control by critics. marginalizes the LGBTQ People.
Legislation has pushed Florida and De Sandis, a rising Republican and potential candidate for the 2024 presidency, to the forefront of the country’s cultural wars.  LGBTQ supporters, students, Democrats, the entertainment industry and the White House have called the measure “Do Not Say Homosexual.”
DeSantis and other Republicans have repeatedly stated that the measure makes sense and that parents, not teachers, should discuss sexual orientation and gender identity with their children.  The law came into force a few days after DeSantis signed a separate bill that potentially limits books that elementary schools can keep in their libraries or use for teaching.
“We will make sure that parents can send their children to school for education, not catechism,” DeSantis said, applauding before signing the measure on sexual orientation and gender identity during a ceremony at a preparatory school outside Tampa.
The law states: “Teaching in the classroom by school staff or third parties about sexual orientation or gender identity is not permitted in kindergarten until the third grade or in a way that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students according to with state standards “.  Parents will be able to sue the districts for violations.
The public outcry began shortly after the bill was introduced, with early criticism from Chasten Buttigieg, the wife of U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and condemnation by LGBTQ advocacy groups.  Democratic President Joe Biden called it “hateful.”
As the bill passed the legislature, celebrities rallied against it on social media and criticized it at this year’s Oscars.  Students from Florida staged rallies and gathered in committee halls and state halls to protest the measure, often shouting “We say gay!”.
The Walt Disney Company, a powerful player in Florida politics, has suspended its political donations to the state, and LGBTQ supporters working for the company have criticized CEO Bob Chapek for what he said was a slow response to the bill.  Some quit their jobs in protest.
After DeSantis signed the measure, Disney issued a statement saying: “Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or the courts and we remain committed to supporting the national and state agencies working to achieve this. this.  . »
Throughout the debate in the GOP-controlled state, Democrats said the language of the law, particularly the phrases “classroom instruction” and “appropriate age,” could be interpreted so broadly that debate in any classroom could provoke lawsuits and create an atmosphere in the classroom where teachers would completely avoid issues.
“The deliberately vague language of the bill leaves teachers afraid to speak to their students and opens up school districts to costly and frivolous litigation by those seeking to exclude LGBTQ people from any classroom level,” said Carlo’s spokeswoman. Smith, Democrat.  homosexual.  “Even worse, #DontSayGay sends a hate message to our most vulnerable young people who just need our support.”
Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, said the law is a political issue for Republicans because elementary schools, especially kindergartens through the third grade, do not teach these subjects and have state curriculum standards that guide students. classroom lessons.
“This bill is based on a lie, and this lie is that we are somehow teaching children inappropriate topics at a young age, and we clearly are not doing it,” Spar said.
The lawmaker, Republican MP Joe Harding, said he would not ban spontaneous discussions about sexual orientation or gender identity in schools, but would prevent districts from integrating classes into the formal curriculum.  In the early stages of the bill, Harding sought to require schools to notify parents if a student appeared as an LGBTQ to a teacher.  He withdrew the amendment after drawing attention on the internet.
“Nothing in the amendment concerned the departure of a student.  “Instead of fighting the misinformation associated with the amendment, I decided to focus on the basic bill that allows parents to participate in their children’s lives,” he said in a statement.
DeSantis signed the bill after a press conference at the Classical Preparatory School in Spring Hill, about 46 miles (74 kilometers) north of Tampa.  At the ceremony, many young children accompanied DeSantis and other politicians near the podium, some holding placards bearing the governor’s slogan “Protect the children / Support the parents”.  DeSantis gave the children the pens he used to sign the bill.
The White House, which has been at loggerheads with the DeSantis government over a number of policies, has issued statements against the law.  “My government will continue to fight for dignity and opportunities for every student and family – in Florida and across the country,” Biden wrote Monday.
US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recently had a call with LGBTQ students in Florida and said in a statement issued Monday that his office “will monitor the implementation of this law to assess whether it violates federal civil rights law.” ».
For teachers in Florida, the law has caused some confusion about what is allowed in the classroom as well as concerns about trivial education, said Michael Woods, a special education teacher in Palm Beach County with nearly three decades of experience.
“From the beginning, I thought it was a solution to finding a problem, and the sad thing is that it will have a creepy effect on ensuring that young students have a safe learning environment,” he said.