Issues + Politics: We Must Continue to Say Gay

We Must Continue To Say Gay

With the passing of the Parental Rights in Education Bill, also referred to as the "Don't Say, Gay Bill," Florida is currently embroiled in yet another culture war controversy by setting a precedent and making waves, but not in a good way.

BY DANIELLE OLIVANI

The recent passage of the Parental Rights in Education Act, HB 1557, otherwise known as The Don't Say, Gay Bill, penned by Representative Harding and endorsed and touted by Senator Baxley and other prominent Florida politicians in both the Florida house and senate is meant to bar the “instruction” of sexual orientation or gender identity in classrooms from kindergarten through third grade.

The bill's most vocal and ardent democratic opponent, Florida House Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, notes, "HB 1557 does absolutely nothing to prohibit conversations about sex, sexual activity, or sex ed with young children, despite its proponents' claims. The bill's intentionally vague language leaves teachers afraid to talk to their students and opens up school districts to costly and frivolous litigation from those seeking to exclude LGBTQ people from any grade level. Even worse, #DontSayGay sends a hateful message to our most vulnerable youth who need our support."

The Don't Say Gay Bill is a direct and pointed attempt to villainize and dehumanize the entire LGBTQIA+ community, making it easier to discriminate and prohibit civil liberties openly and a flagrant move to legislate us right out of existence. Governor DeSantis’s message is clear; it is an attempt and his ultimate goal to assault and blatant erasure of the LGBTQIA+ community, especially queer and transgender youth here in Florida, in full swing and seems to be gaining momentum.

Subsequently, almost immediately after HB1557 became law, a litany of retaliatory lawsuits began.

Equality Florida, the largest LGBTQIA+ advocacy organization in the state, joined The National Center for Lesbian Rights in a lawsuit opposing the bill, with the law firm Kaplan Heckler deciding to take this case on and ready to argue and refute it in a court of law. They are prepared to challenge and deny this predilection to eliminate the stigma, isolation, and cruelty that this bill will undoubtedly cause.

The negative ramifications of Don't Say Gay and copycat legislation is catastrophic. Although proponents of the bill state that it will only affect those who are in kindergarten to third grade, the effect that is prohibiting the discussion of ALL aspects of sexuality and gender expression will undoubtedly cause a litany of lawsuits against the state of Florida, school boards, and potentially educators who choose to reject it and stand rm in their affirmation of LGBTQIA+ students, regardless of the grave consequences they might face.

The level of uncertainty and uneasiness within the LGBTQIA+ populous in Central Florida and across the country intensifies with exclusionary, unconstitutional, and intolerant "red meat" legislation, such as the ANTI Woke Act the egregious Fifteen Week Abortion Ban. These draconian, myopic, and duplicitous bills are being brought forth and codified into law to galvanize and unify the fundamentalist conservative Christian base of the republican party. Subsequently, many states follow Florida's bigoted, biased and unconstitutional lead.

This type of legislation is essentially a dog whistle to those politicians and individuals who are offended and reviled by the mere existence of LGBTQIA+ individuals. In an attempt to combat the litany of fear-mongering and misinformation pushed by the bill's proponents, Representative Smith emphasizes that "HB 1557 does absolutely nothing to prohibit conversations about sex, sexual activity, or sex ed with young people children, despite its proponents' claims. The bill's intentionally vague language leaves teachers afraid to talk to their students and opens up school districts to costly and frivolous litigation from those seeking to exclude LGBTQ people from any grade level. Even worse, #DontSayGay sends a hateful message to our most vulnerable youth who need our support."

Representative Smith states that "By signing #DontSayGay into law, DeSantis is attempting to censor and exclude an entire community of people from our public schools for his political gain. This law doesn't solve any problem that exists. Instead, HB 1557 has been weaponized by the Governor's office to launch a bigoted smear campaign to attack and defame LGBTQ Floridians with baseless accusations of grooming and pedophilia."

Its gross, offensive, and downright harmful accusations and assertions made by Governor DeSantis and his supporters are causing stereotypes and lies about the LGBTQIA+ to persist and flourish. It has proven to be much easier to be bigoted and hateful to a particular social group if they are deemed evil, perverted, immoral sexual deviants as some of the conservative Christian right segment of the Florida most extreme republicans are so desperate to want you to believe.

Now, in an even bigger twist, Disney's decision to remain silent regarding the bill's direct attack on the LGBTQIA+ community, which a significant segment of workers is a part of, as well as Disney's support of anti-LGBTQIA+ candidates who support Don't Say, Gay, has surfaced, Disney had to take a strong stance; outwardly opposing the bill and calling out Governor DeSantis. Because of this, De- Santis, in an attempt to punish Disney for pushing the so-called woke liberal agenda and California politics, has stripped Disney of its protected class.

Taking these special privileges; legal autonomy to self-govern, and financial breaks from Disney in the way of tax breaks and incentives, invariably, the citizens of Orange County, specifically The Reedy Creek Improvement District, will now have to foot the bill, thus causing a myriad of financial catastrophes and raise local taxes for may who work and frequent Disney.

So many LGBTQIA+ children, youths, adults, and allies are asking themselves what's next, what can we do to help overturn this legislation? There is one thing for sure: the fight against Don't Say Gay is far from over, and it will continue to be debated and hotly contested for the foreseeable future. LGBTQIA+ youth in Florida and worldwide who struggle to find support know that you are loved just the way you are, and we will fight for you every day because your lives are worth fighting for.

DANIELLE OLIVANI is a proud mom, community organizer/activist, and CEO of Lake County Pride Org. Corp; an LGBTQIA+ nonprofit which seeks to improve the lives of Lake County youth through advocacy, education, and acts of service to the community. She is a longtime resident of Lake County and currently lives in Mount Dora, Fla. She graduated from the Rollins College Paralegal Studies program and obtained her certification in 2017.