The Florida House Education & Employment Committee has passed HB 1557 known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This bill & its companion Senate bill SB 1834 would ban discussion of LGBTQ topics in the classroom. It also allows parents to take legal action against teachers if they discuss gender orientation or sexuality. The bill includes additional provisions that undermine LGBTQ support in schools including parental notification requirements that could result in LGBTQ students being outed to their parents without consent. This bill will create even more barriers for LGBTQ students to feel safe & supported at school. According to the Trevor Project only 28% of middle & high school LGBTQ students reported ever learning about LGBTQ people or issues in their classes at school. GLSEN & the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) found that 51.6% of Black LGBTQ students felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation & 40.2% because of their gender expression. David Johns, NBJC Executive Director stated, “We’re living in a peculiar time where the privileged minority wish for all of us to embrace a post-truth era…to live as if words don’t have meanings & the truth isn’t worth telling, especially when it makes some of us uncomfortable. Truth is we’ve only grown in understanding & strengthened the community by being honest, especially about history & shared experiences. Attempting to prevent students from knowing & feeling comfortable using words, histories & experiences will not make those words, histories & experiences disappear. It will only make it easier for students to learn & perform the worst parts of ignorance & hate. Our students deserve better. Our country deserves better.”
Oppose This Bill Here…
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