The Florida State Board of Education voted Wednesday to prohibit classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation through 12th grade.
“We’re going to fight for our students, we’re going to fight for parental rights,” said board member Ben Gibson during the meeting.
The expansion of the Parental Rights in Education Act, known as “Don’t Say Gay” by critics, allows an exemption for sexual education or health lessons, “for which a student’s parent has the option to have his or her student not attend.”
Board members said there are misconceptions about the rule, which they say is only a clarification of Florida standards for teachers.
“This really isn’t a complicated thing,” said board member Esther Byrd.
But LGBTQ+ advocates say the rule is an “assault on freedom.”
“Free states do not wage war on LGBTQ+ people to score cheap political points for a man desperate to be president,” said Joe Saunders, senior political director for Equality Florida.
“This policy will escalate the government censorship that is sweeping our state, exacerbate our educator exodus, drive hardworking families from Florida, and further stigmatize and isolate a population of young people who need our support now more than ever.”
The move is the latest in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attack on what he calls “woke gender ideology.” During this year’s session, the Florida Legislature is considering bills that would prohibit children from attending drag shows, require people to use the bathroom that corresponds to their sex at birth, and would ban gender-affirming care for minors.
Education officials cast rule as clarification
The expansion of the rule, which originally affected grades kindergarten through third grade, did not need to be approved by the Legislature.
In March, Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said the rule was the board’s attempt to clarify what is “age appropriate,” which caused confusion among educators and led to the removal of books and teacher resignations across the state.
On Wednesday, Diaz reiterated that this rule does not ban books or “other” students.
“They’re not being shunned,” Diaz said.
It’s unclear what impact the rule will have on a pair of bills that seek to ban classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender ideology.
For example, SB 1320, sponsored by Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, only restricts instruction until ninth grade.
While the rule could make that section of the law moot, the proposals also restrict how students can identify themselves at school.
Opponents, supporters face off over rule
During public comment, members of the conservative parental rights group Moms for Liberty from Collier, Leon and Pinellas counties came out in force in support of the rule expansion on Wednesday morning and said the rule wouldn’t target specific groups of people but would instead strengthen the relationship between children and their parents.
“We should focus on educating, not indoctrinating,” said Yvette Benarroch, head of the Moms for Liberty chapter in Collier County.
Most of public comment was dominated by opponents to the bill, who stressed the vagueness of the wording of the rule and said they feared it would harm LGBTQ+ students and teachers.
“If nothing else, I ask that you clarify the language in this proposal so that teachers know they will not be punished if they acknowledge a student’s LGBT family,” said Beck Schillizzi, a Tallahassee resident.
Schillizzi, a gay trans man, brought his 18-month-old daughter to the lectern for his comments.
“It was really important for them to see who they are negatively affecting by this legislation,” he said.
USA TODAY NETWORK
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