The proposal moves to the desk of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it into law.
“This bill, from its introduction, has been used as vehicle to marginalize and attack LGTBQ people,” said Rep. Carlos G. Smith, a Democrat who is gay, adding that it “sends a terrible message to our youth that there is something wrong with LGBTQ people, that there is something so dangerous or inappropriate about us that we have to be prohibited and censored from the classroom.”
“I know how important it is to empower parents in this relationship. I want to encourage parents across Florida to own it,” said Sen. Dennis Baxley, a Republican who carried the bill in the Senate. “They’re your kids, and it is tough — it’s tough to figure out what influences will be on them and what kinds of decisions they will make and how that all comes out.”
“We have failed as a legislature if hundreds of kids stand outside screaming for their rights and you can’t explain to fifth graders and sixth graders and eighth graders simple definitions of your bill. You’ve failed,” said Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat. DeSantis has chafed at calling the proposal the “Don’t Say Gay” bill because he said it would apply to instruction on any gender identity or sexual orientation. He said it was inappropriate for teachers to discuss those issues with children in kindergarten through third grade.