Many Republican lawmakers have given their support for the bill, despite the fact that it contradicts alleged Republican values of limited government methodologies Although, this is not an entirely new concept.
If those parents prevail in court, they can win “money damages” and this will hurt the school’s funding.Īnother issue with the bill is that it is fundamentally a form of government overreach. A lawsuit being filed against a school, if suspected of violating the bill, could potentially be costly. The bill relies on private lawsuits for enforcement, which means ultimately it’s up to the parents to present violation accusations. There are so many unanswered questions and undefined terms in the bill that can lead to serious issues. In another instance, if a teacher presents their class with reading or viewing material that includes non-heterosexual relationships, this could also violate the parameters of the bill. If students have a woman as a teacher and she is married to another woman and references this in class, that could arguably be an issue according to the bill. For Florida teachers, the bill presents an issue because it limits their instruction capacity and freedom. There is also a lot of gray area in the bill. The main issue with this is that the bill does not go on to define what can be classified as “classroom instruction” or “developmentally appropriate.” One section of the bill states, “…classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
There are several issues with the bill – one of the most significant being how vague it is.įrom a legal enforcement standpoint, the bill has a lot of holes. Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also expressed explicit support for the bill. If adopted, the bill would prohibit “classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity” in Florida’s primary schools. In late February, the Florida House of Representatives passed legislation titled Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill – by opponents, it is widely referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. As a country, there is still a lot of room for growth. Although we may seem to take one step forward in society everyday, we are met with laws that push us three steps backward.