President Biden slams Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill

metroweekly.com:

tweeted. “I have your back, and my Administration will continue to fight for the protections and safety you deserve.”The bill, which critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill passed the State Senate Education Committee along party lines on Tuesday, with Democrats arguing that the bill will be interpreted and enforced by school districts in a way that effectively gags any discussion about LGBTQ-related topics, even in passing.

A nearly identical version working its way through the House of Representatives was reported favorably from the Florida House Education & Employment Committee and has since been referred to the House Judiciary Committee.Republicans have touted the bill as a “parental rights” measure that will alert parents before their children are exposed to topics to which they morally object or think should not be broached in school, such as sexual orientation or gender identity.

They also maintain that the bill only restricts teachers in primary grades from “encouraging discussion’ about those topics “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”The text of the bill does not define or provide examples of what is meant by the terms “age-appropriate” or “developmentally appropriate.” The bill also fails to define what “primary grades” are, although the bill’s sponsor has since declared, in follow-up interviews, that the term refers to students in grade levels from preschool to Grade 5.The Senate Education Committee’s approval of the bill came a day after Gov.

Ron DeSantis (R) expressed support for the measure, telling reporters that it was “entirely inappropriate” for teachers to be talking about topics like sexual orientation or gender identity with students, reports NBC.