The Florida House board showing the yea and nay votes for the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. (Photo from state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith’s Twitter)
The Florida House of Representatives passed HB 1557 – Parental Rights in Education, better known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Feb. 24 by a vote of 69-47.
The bill saw seven Republican members of the House — Reps. Jim Mooney, Chip LaMarca, Demi Bussata Cabrera, Vance Aloupis, Amber Mariano, Rene “Coach P” Plasencia, and Will Robinson — join every House Democrat in voting against the bill. The House voted to pass the Stop WOKE Act as well.
“Despite overwhelming public outrage, polling data underscoring immense unpopularity with voters, and hours of testimony from LGBTQ families, Republican legislators voted to pass the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and “Stop WOKE” Act in the Florida House,” Equality Florida said in a statement. “If signed into law, these bills will have disastrous impacts on classrooms and workplaces. They will turn Florida into a surveillance state and give the government broad license to censor conversations about American history, the origins of racism and injustice, and the existence of LGBTQ people.”
The bill now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee Feb. 28.
“The Florida Senate should choose not to take up this extreme legislation and turn Florida into a censorship and surveillance state,” Equality Florida continued in its statement.
Members of the local LGBTQ community have been sharing their own personal stories about coming out to teachers, showing how important it is for LGBTQ youth to be able to confide in them.
“The first person I ever told that I was gay was my high school art teacher, Mary Ellen Boudman,” says Dr. George Wallace, the LGBT+ Center Orlando CEO. “To this day, I am thankful that I had a public school teacher that I trusted enough to come out to. Under this dangerous bill, I am fearful that teachers will no longer be able to talk openly and honestly with their students. Students need a safe space and often, schools are their first or only resource. This legislation will make teachers fearful or providing a safe and inclusive environment, which could be extremely harmful.”
Cory Fisher, president of Orlando’s first LGBTQ rugby club, the Orlando Otters RFC, posted an open letter to the team’s Facebook page recounting his coming out story to teachers in high school.
“The ‘Don’t Say Gay Bill’ is hateful and discriminatory,” Fisher wrote in his letter. “LGBTQ+ history is a vibrant part of American history and culture. It’s value is endless and helps guide future generations from making the mistakes of the past. Not only should LGBTQ+ history be taught and respected but never should trusted adults and teachers be forced to violate their students’ privacy and share information to their family.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking with reporters at a press conference Feb. 7, showed support for the bill stating that in his view it was “entirely inappropriate” for teachers and school administrators to have conversations with students about their gender identity.
The “Don’t Say Gay” bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Joe Harding, looks to forbid discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in school classrooms for certain grade levels. The bill states that a parent would be able to sue a school district for violations.
The proposal has drawn intense national scrutiny and has served as the one of the latest battlegrounds between the White House and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is widely considered to be a potential 2024 presidential candidate.
