JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida lawmakers are looking to expand controversial legislation passed just last year that banned the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3.
Critics are already labeling the bill “Don’t Say Gay 2.0.″
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The newly filed bills in the House and Senate both extend the prohibition on teaching gender identity and sexual orientation from grades K-3 to pre-kindergarten through 8th grade.
“Every family is different, and children mature at different rates. The place for instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity is in the home, guided by the parents if they deem it appropriate,” said Senate Sponsor Clay Yarborough (R-Jacksonville) in an emailed statement.
To supporters of the policy like Anthony Verdugo with the Florida Christian Family Coalition, the bills represent an expansion of parents’ rights.
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“Parents were not even aware until a couple of years ago that this was happening in curriculum or lesson plans,” said Verdugo.
But the legislation goes even further.
It requires school policies to reflect, “that a person’s sex is an immutable biological trait and that it is false to ascribe to a person a pronoun that does not correspond to such person’s sex.”
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It also prohibits schools from requiring staff and students to use pronouns that don’t align with a person’s biological sex.
“That basically gives teachers and students a license to misgender and dead name transgender students,” said Former State Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith.
Smith, who now works with Equality Florida, argued that part of the bill violates the rights of parents with trans students.
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“Affirming and accepting parents who want them to have a safe and healthy transition in school, a social transition that includes using the appropriate pronouns,” said Smith.
But Verdugo argued students and staff shouldn’t be forced to use language that may conflict with their religious or moral beliefs.
He also said there have been at least two cases where schools used different pronouns for students without their parent’s knowledge.
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“That’s all this is addressing. This is a legislative fix,” said Verdugo.
Smith said Equality Florida wasn’t surprised to see the legislation filed, pointing to the Governor’s rumored Presidential aspirations.
“These culture wars are absolutely about Ron DeSantis promoting himself to run for President of the United States. But, you know, I hate using the phrase ‘culture war’ because it implies that it’s a silly sideshow that doesn’t really mean anything,” said Smith. “These bills are actually having a negative impact on people’s lives. People with LGBTQ+ kids in schools are contemplating leaving the State of Florida.”
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