Florida's HB 1557, also known as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law
Public school teachers in Florida are banned from holding classroom instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity after Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed the controversial "Parental Rights in Education" bill.
The law states: "Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards." Parents would be able to sue districts over violations.
DeSantis said teaching kindergarten-aged kids that "they can be whatever they want to be" was "inappropriate" for children.
DeSantis and other Republicans have repeatedly described the rules as reasonable, saying children should learn about sexual orientation and gender identity from their parents, not in schools.
"We will make sure that parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination," the governor said when he signed it into law.
--Legal Challenge--
The challenge filed in federal court in Tallahassee on behalf of Equality Florida and Family Equality alleges that the law violates the constitutionally protected rights of free speech, equal protection and due process of students and families.
"This effort to control young minds through state censorship — and to demean LGBTQ lives by denying their reality — is a grave abuse of power," the lawsuit says.
"The United States Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that LGBTQ people and their families are at home in our constitutional order. The State of Florida has no right to declare them outcasts, or to treat their allies as outlaws, by punishing schools where someone dares to affirm their identity and dignity," the lawsuit says.
The law deliberately employs broad terms and invites arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement, empowering parents to be roving censors who can sue school boards for damages based on any perceived violation, the lawsuit adds.
Many critics have said the law's language, particularly the phrases "classroom instruction" and "age appropriate," could be interpreted so broadly that discussion in any grade could trigger lawsuits, creating a classroom atmosphere where teachers would avoid the subjects entirely.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/04/01/1090211332/dont-say-gay-law-florida-lawsuit-desantis
Youtube: "Florida Teacher Speaks About Passage Of 'Don't Say Gay' Bill" https://youtu.be
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