On March 8, 2022, Florida’s lawmakers passed legislation titled “Parental Rights in Education” — which critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill as it restricts speech in public school classrooms concerning LGBTQ identity. The state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, has indicated he intends to sign the bill, which bans teachers up to third grade from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in their classrooms.
Hollywood stars and other celebrities have been weighing in on the legislation for weeks. On March 8 a the end of his Bravo show “Watch What Happens Live,” host Andy Cohen hit back, telling viewers, “First to Florida Republicans, you’re pretending to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
There is not a mass conspiracy of kindergarten teachers who are plotting to teach children to be gay. This is one big dog whistle. You’re scaring people into spewing hate and discrimination at the LGBTQ community.
Second, While the words ‘don’t say gay’ don’t explicitly appear in the bill, as a gay parent, I’m concerned that its deliberately vague language leaves room for it to be interpreted that way. Like, if my son went to school and talked about his gay dad during class and the teacher engaged, under your vague, hateful law, that can be considered illegal? And finally, supporters of this bill, including Governor DeSantis’s press secretary, have spread so much misinformation, like suggesting only ‘groomers’ would oppose it. You can’t groom someone to be gay.
