The Florida Board of Education recently approved a proposal to expand the state's existing "Don't Say Gay" law, which bans classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades. The new rule change would extend the ban to grades 4-12, unless required by existing state standards or part of reproductive health instruction that students can choose not to take. The proposal was put forward by Governor Ron DeSantis last month as part of his conservative agenda, with the governor expected to run for president in the future.
The prohibition on discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms began last year with the law banning such lessons in kindergarten through third grade. However, critics argue that the existing law marginalizes the LGBTQ+ community and results in self-censorship from teachers. Democratic President Joe Biden has called the law "hateful."
The DeSantis administration has defended the proposal, saying it is meant to clarify confusion around the existing law and reinforce that teachers should not deviate from existing curriculums. Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said the aim was simply to set clear expectations for teachers to teach to the standards, and not to remove any content.
However, the current law has drawn intense backlash from critics, including LGBTQ+ advocacy groups like Equality Florida. Joe Saunders, senior political director of the organization, called it "part of the Governor's assault on freedom" and said the new policy would "further stigmatize and isolate a population of young people who need our support now more than ever."
The existing law has also led to an ongoing feud with Disney, one of Florida's largest employers and political donors. Last year, the company publicly opposed the legislation, leading DeSantis to push lawmakers to give him control of a self-governing district that Disney oversees in its theme park properties. However, Disney's board passed restrictive covenants that strip incoming members of most of their powers, blunting the governor's retaliation. DeSantis has directed the chief inspector general to investigate the Disney board's move and vowed to take additional revenge against the company through legislation.