Florida expands ‘Don’t Say Gay,’ OKs 3 more bills

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis added more wins to his agenda targeting the LGBTQ+ community as a state board approved an expansion of what critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” law Wednesday, and the House passed bills on gender-transition treatments, bathroom use and keeping children out of drag shows.

The Board of Education approved a ban on classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding the law that bans those lesson up to grade 3 at the request of DeSantis as he gears up for an expected presidential run.

The rule change would ban lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity from grades 4-12, unless required by existing state standards or as part of reproductive health instruction that students can choose not to take. That’s the time when students are becoming aware of their sexuality.

The proposal will take effect after a procedural notice period that lasts about a month, according to an education department spokesman.

The DeSantis administration put forward the proposal last month as part of the Republican’s aggressive conservative agenda, with the governor leaning heavily into cultural divides ahead of his looming White House candidacy.

He previously directed questions to Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., who said it was meant to clarify confusion around the existing law and reinforce that teachers should not deviate from existing curriculums.

“We’re not removing anything here,” Diaz Jr. said Wednesday. “All we are doing is we are setting the expectations so our teachers are clear: that they are to teach to the standards.”

The prohibition has drawn intense backlash from critics who argue it marginalizes LGBTQ+ people and has vague terms that result in selfcensorship from teachers. Democratic President Joe Biden has called it “hateful.”

It’s not the only issue upsetting LGBTQ+ people in Florida. Also Wednesday, the House passed a bill to make it a felony to provide gender-affirming health care to transgender minors, another DeSantis priority.

“In the image of God, he created them. Male and female, he created them. Folks this is rock solid, irreversible, validated by science and our medical community. Period,” said Republican Rep. Chase Tramont. “You are either male or female. This is not subject to one’s opinion. It is demonstrable fact.”

Democrats argued ignoring gender dysphoria in children can be psychologically harmful, They said parents and doctors should make decisions on treatment, not government.