“Don’t Say Gay” Florida Bill Passes in the House: A Teen Gay Girl’s Perspective
In Florida, a bill passed in the house that has outraged the nation. The “Don’t Say Gay” bill prohibits the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in primary school. The bill passed by a vote of 69-47. Legislation is underway in the state senate.
The state’s Governor Ron DeSantis showed support for the implementation of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida’s schools. Governor Ron DeSantis is a possible presidential candidate for 2024. DeSantis states these possible discussions are “entirely inappropriate” and “The larger issue with all of this is parents must have a seat at the table when it comes to what’s going on in their schools.” Some have even said that it creates boundaries of what is appropriate in schools and that it is not hate.
A white house spokesmen who opposes the bill has stated, “This is politics at its worst, cynically using our students as pawns in political warfare.” Families of LGBTQ students who find this bill as a big step backwards. They have shared that family members may have to go back into the closet, and dress in a non-gender affirming way because schools will not protect them. Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, who is gay, told lawmakers in a passionate speech, “This bill goes way beyond the text on its page. It sends a terrible message to our youth that there is something so wrong, so inappropriate, so dangerous about this topic that we have to censor it from classroom instruction.” He continues by stating, “We are in distress because this bill is yet another attack on our community.” Representative Smith wore a rainbow Pride ribbon upside down to show the distress the LGBTQ community is in.
A TEEN GAY GIRL’S OPINION:
As someone who has recently come out and been extremely open, this bill is extremely disheartening and hateful. As a young girl I grew up in a society that did not talk about being queer and I never heard, or saw, or known anyone who was openly apart of the LGBTQ community. Whenever being gay was mentioned it was in a bad way. As I have grown up and figured out who I am I have realized those around me had no better knowledge then I did when I was a young kid. My own peers use homophobic slurs as nicknames for each other. We teach respect and kindness in kindergarten but peoples respect towards those who use different pronouns or have a different sexual identity is not even acknowledged until they reach that bridge. I can not imagine how afraid parents and kids are that this kind of legislation is possibly getting passed in this century. YES CENTURY. It is time for all legislation to look beyond conservative beliefs and look to what will benefit and provide safety for all, especially students. Starting conversations at any age, at anytime can not only educate people but make them feel comfortable. We MUST no longer view the LGBTQ community and their rights as political stances. WE are people and WE deserve the same rights as everyone else. The same right to speak. The same right to love. The same right to be respected and take up space. Neglecting the LGBTQ community from the conversation is neglecting a part of our history.
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Katelyn is a senior at Dakota High School. This is her first year of being a part of The Dakota Planet. During her free time, she enjoys playing softball...
Voss • Mar 1, 2022 at 1:45 pm
I think my appreciation of the Dakota Planet is well documented at this point so no disrespect to this fine platform of student journalism, but this article needs to be published EVERYWHERE.