HB 1557 has reached nationwide attention, including a denouncement from President Joe Biden.
Courtesy of Aubrey Carr | The Crow’s Nest
By Aubrey Carr
The fight against what opponents call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill came to an official end last Monday when the Parental Rights in Education Bill was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Filed under House Bill 1557, the soon-to-be law states that “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through [third] grade or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
The bill faced controversy from critics who argued that it marginalizes members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Criticism of the bill came to a head last Thursday when LGBTQ+ advocate groups filed a federal complaint challenging the law.
Lawyers from Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP, a New York law firm, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed the complaint on behalf of Equality Florida and Family Equality.
“Florida House Bill 1557 (widely known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law) is an unlawful attempt to stigmatize, silence and erase LGBTQ people in Florida’s public schools,” the complaint said.
“It seeks to do so by imposing a sweeping, vague ban covering any instruction on ‘sexual orientation and gender identity,’ and by constructing a diffuse enforcement scheme designed to maximize the chilling effect of this prohibition.”
The complaint went on to state that the bill violates the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution and should be overturned as such.
“It offends principles of free speech and equal protection by seeking to censor discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity that recognize and respect LGBTQ people and their families,” the complaint said.
In a press conference ahead of the signing, DeSantis validated the bill, affirming that it was for the protection of children and the rights of parents.
“We will make sure that parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination,” DeSantis said.
The bill also allows parents to sue their school district if the policy is breached.
“Parents’ rights have been increasingly under assault around the nation, but in Florida we stand up for the rights of parents and the fundamental role they play in the education of their children,” DeSantis said, according to a press release. “Parents have every right to be informed about services offered to their child at school and should be protected from schools using classroom instruction to sexualize their kids as young as 5 years old.”
The bill received nationwide attention for its highly controversial content, with LGBTQ+ advocates, celebrities and politicians denouncing the legislation.
President Joe Biden took to Twitter ahead of DeSantis’ signing to condemn the “hateful” bill.
“I want every member of the LGBTQI+ community — especially the kids who will be impacted by this hateful bill — to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are,” Biden said in a tweet. “I have your back, and my administration will continue to fight for the protections and safety you deserve.”
As the bill is specifically aimed at what can be taught within a classroom, students at the University of South Florida’s College of Education are left to wonder how the ruling may impact their future careers as educators.
“We do not stand for homophobia as a program,” junior elementary education major, Grace Barnett, said. “I don’t think the bill will [affect] how I teach or how I learn how to teach. In our classes, we often talk about diversity. Our program advocates for inclusion and representation in the classroom.”
“Queer students may not be aware of their identity in elementary school but hiding them from the reality that gay people exist is an injustice to their rights, specifically the right to freedom of thought, opinion and expression,” Barnett said. “If a child asks about gay people, it is their right to want answers to their thought.”
For River Gottschalk, a junior education major, the bill feels like a direct attack toward himself and other aspiring transgender educators.
“I feel that I have been made out to be a villain in the school system and amongst the common population,” Gottschalk said.
“Teachers will be much more fearful to express themselves and teach in a diverse manner. This will in turn, negatively affect the students, especially those a part of the LGBTQ+ community.”
According to David Rosengrant, interim director of education for USF St. Petersburg, there has yet to be any talks of curriculum changes for the College of Education –– but assured that any discussions would involve all three USF campuses.
HB 1557 is planned to go into effect on July 1.
