The Florida Board of Education approved Wednesday to ban classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding a law critics are calling “Don’t Say Gay” at the request of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The proposal will take effect after a procedural notice period that lasts about a month, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Education.
The rule change would prohibit lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity from grades 4-12, unless required by existing state standards or as part of reproductive health instruction that students can choose not to take.
The DeSantis administration introduced the proposal last month as part of an aggressive conservative agenda with the governor leaning heavily on cultural divides ahead of his impending White House bid.
“All we are doing is setting the expectations so our teachers are clear: They must teach to the standards,” Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said Wednesday.
The measure, which began last year with a law banning sexual orientation and gender identity lessons from kindergarten through third grade, has drawn a fierce backlash from critics. They argue that it marginalizes LGBTQ people and that it contains vague terms that result in self-censorship by teachers.
“Let’s be clear: This is part of the governor’s assault on freedom,” said Joe Saunders, director of the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida, adding that the policy “will further stigmatize and isolate a population of young people who need our support, now more than ever”.
