Florida's Parental Rights Education/"Don't Say Gay Bill"
On Monday, March 28, 2022, a Parental Rights Education bill was signed by Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). The bill addresses dicussions about LGBTQ topics in Florida's public schools.
It has been said that the purpose of the bill, HB 1557 is to grant parents more control over the academic curriculum. Specifically, the Parental Rights Education bill prohibits any instruction or dialogue concerning gender identity or sexual orientation in kindergarten through third grades.
DeSantis and many supporters of the bill say its purpose is to protect the innocence of young children and avoid controversial subjects that are not age or developmentally appropriate in accordance to Florida's standards. Other supporters of the bill have said that discussions about gender identity or sexual orientation in the classroom are a deviation from a rudimentary education.
Although the bill does not forbid students from engaging in conversations regarding the LGBTQ history and community, teachers found in violation of the bill are subject to civil litigation. Opponents of the bill who refer to it as the "Don't Say Gay" bill have said that it indiscriminantly targets LGBTQ students.
If LGBTQ students are not allowed to converse with teachers about their identities in a classroom setting, then they will most likely feel as though it is not safe to express themselves anywhere. Furthermore, critics of the bill deem it as homophobic and say that legislative officials are determined to implement their own prejudices and bigoted views into society's institutions at all costs.
Psychologists who have researched the issue from different angles have concluded that barring discussions about gender identity and sexual orientation is detrimental to the mental health of LGBTQ students. Given how society for many years has not embraced homosexuality, prohibition of such conversations with school teachers can increase depression and suicide rates among LGBTQ students.
DeSantis, however has remained firm in his position, and the bill is scheduled to be implemented on July 1, 2022. After researching this topic from both sides, I personally feel that the bill is ludicrous, unnecessary, and not to mention flat out ignorant.
First of all, I am from Florida, and I do not recall any of my elementary school teachers ever fostering discussions about gender identity or sexual orientation; So, I do not know where DeSantis is getting this from. Second of all, having open dialogues in the classroom about gender identity, sexual orientation and the LGBTQ community does not in any way shape or form abuse children's innocence.
If anything, it is healthy for teachers to foster such discussions, as it teaches children the importance of acceptace and that they have a right to love whomever they want. Legislative officials also cannot dictate whether each child in grades K-3 in the state of Florida are mature or developed enough to handle these conversations.
Furthermore, teaching about gender identity, sexual orientation and the LGBTQ community is beneficial in the sense that it educates students about the true history of this country, which they need to know. By understanding the history of our country, people can then conceptualize adequate strategies about how to progress into a united nation.
This is similar to how other governors and legislators have exploited the term, "Critical Race Theory" to bar discussions about race, racism/discrimination in schools. I resent these practices, because first of all, professors from prestigious institutions such as Harvard, have come out and said that politicians are using the term Critical Race Theory out of context.
Second of all, the real problem with many of these politicians is that they simply do not want students to learn about how black people and other minorities have been oppressed by white people for centuries; And the reason many politicians do not want these subjects being taught is because deep down they know it was wrong, and it makes them feel guilty.
Furthermore, their goal is to preserve white supremacy, and part of that plan includes excluding the history of minorities and other marginalized groups from the academic curriculum. What they do not seem to understand though, is that most students of all races and ethnicities do not harbor their racist and bigoted views and are willing to welcome discussions about race/racism and the LGBTQ community into their classrooms.
Although we will probably never eradicate racism and homophobia completely, I am somewhat hopeful that my generation will do a better job of creating a world that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_ejiqpr1uM
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