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The Florida Senate Education Committee recently passed the 1834 Parental Rights in Education Bill, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The bill aims to ensure schools aren’t encouraging conversations on gender or sexual identity in classrooms. It would also require all personnel, such as counselors and teachers to disclose private information to parents regarding their children, which would completely demolish all confidentiality. The bill uses interesting wording to avoid being outright homophobic by stating that discussions that are not “age-appropriate” are banned. This might not seem like a destructive idea to some, as children may be too young to have a grasp on how they identify within the complex spectrum of sexuality and gender. Yet the problem arises with the (perhaps intentionally) loose wording of “age-appropriate”. This phrase has no concrete definition in the context that it is being used. A school may decide that high-schoolers are not allowed to have conversations sdfsf
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about certain identities in the classroom because they are not age-appropriate, even though said students may legally be adults. To further their agenda, Florida lawmakers may be metaphorically casting their nets over a large area by using vague language so that they can persecute whoever they choose. Many individuals who live in the “Sunshine State” have voiced their concerns. A local Florida teen, Lana Goff, spoke at a rally against the bill. They described the bill as “‘just another way for them [Florida government] to silence us, and we have been silent for so long’” (Putney & Torres, 2022). Another Florida high-school student spoke to CBS News, saying, “‘The bill is sending a message to LGBTQ youth that they have something to be ashamed about, that their identities are so taboo that they shouldn't even be talked about in classrooms… In a world that already shames LGBTQ people enough, children who are learning and developing who they are don't need any more of that stigma.’”
