Florida's new "Don't Say Gay" bill was signed into law in late March of this year. Governor DeSantis and other supporters of this law have declared themselves saviors of childhood innocence, but when we think critically about this law, there are dangerous implications for young children - especially young LGBTQ children.
The law's official name of this law is the "Parental Rights in Education" law. It lists the new rights of parents to intervene in the education of their children, noting specifically the restrictions placed around LGBTQ subjects. This law also gives parents the power to decide what services their child can receive, including physical and mental health check-ups. This particularly raises red flags because any child in an abusive household with neglectful or harmful parents can have restricted access to resources that can help them get out of dangerous home situations.
Another aspect of the law that is equally troubling is the requirement to report things a student might tell school personnel in private. Lines 82-88 of the bill state "2. A school district may not adopt procedures or student support forms that prohibit school district personnel from notifying a parent about his or her student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being, or a change in related services or monitoring, or that encourage or have the effect of encouraging a student to withhold from a parent such information." This language is fairly vague, leaving its specific requirements up to school faculty/staff interpretation. With reporting requirements as broad as these, students are less likely to report things like bullying, feelings of depression or anxiety, trouble in school, all for fear of their parents being told, resulting in a possibly unsafe home environment.
This presentation is going to explore these themes especially when it comes to the teaching of LGBTQ topics in the classroom. Florida's new law also states that “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" (lines 97-101). This language is again vague, which will likely lead to teachers and staff erring on the side of caution and avoiding these topics altogether. This means discussion of LGBTQ families, parents, or student identities will be forbidden from classrooms. This kind of restriction of subjects in school is an unfortunately common theme we've seen in the past few years (e.g. inclusive families, the truths about American history, critical race theory conversations). With this discussion of limiting LGBTQ subject matter in schools, we will also explore the history of LGBTQ lives in America.
The fact that we as the public allow this to continue, allow the government to decide what is and is not appropriate to teach to our youngest Americans is not only wrong, but perpetuates prejudices and biases throughout the most formative years of a young academic's life.
In addition to these discussion questions, please see the possible test questions below.
1. What is the official name of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law?
2. When was gay marriage legalized?
Feel free to review my presentation here and browse the sources below for more information:
This law has dangerous implications, not only for queer kids, but for every kid. Children have a constitutional right to education - with that right comes access to resources that help kids, including physical and mental wellness checks, peer networks, and trusted adults who undergo extensive training to aid children in need. The government should not have a final say in the intricate inner workings of the nuanced components in education.
This is such an important point, so little regarded by these reckless legislators: "any child in an abusive household with neglectful or harmful parents can have restricted access to resources that can help them get out of dangerous home situations. "
ReplyDeleteThanks for shining the spotlight on this issue, Claire. I hope sanity prevails, sooner than later.