Florida has extended a controversial ban on teaching sexual orientation and gender identity to all classes in public schools. The responsible education council of the conservatively governed US state, whose members are appointed by the governor, voted unanimously in favor of the measure. This extends the law passed in 2022 and dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by critics.
Last year, Florida banned teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. This ban has now been extended to grades four through twelve.
Exceptions for these age groups exist only when instruction on these subjects is explicitly required in the state curriculum – which is not the case in Florida – or as part of sex education courses from which parents can give their children time off. Teachers who violate these guidelines face suspension or even dismissal.
Representatives of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer) community strongly condemned the actions of the administration of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. “Shame on the DeSantis administration for putting targets on the backs of LGBTQ Florida residents,” Equality Florida wrote on Twitter. “The government’s greed for censorship is insatiable.”
In general, critics, including Democratic US President Joe Biden, complain that the Florida law marginalizes already vulnerable LGBTQ children. It is seen as a slap against all people who do not identify with heterosexual or binary gender norms. Last year there was also an ongoing legal battle between DeSantis and Disney after the entertainment company publicly opposed the law.
Profiling as a presidential candidate?
DeSantis is said to want to position himself as a future presidential candidate with a hard right-wing course and a crackdown on the LGBTQ community. The 44-year-old is considered a rising force among Republicans and potentially the most dangerous rival to ex-President Donald Trump in the race for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination. DeSantis has not yet publicly announced whether he will throw his hat in the ring. However, he sent out appropriate signals.
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