Anonymous
On March 28th, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the “Parental Rights in Education Act” into law. Informally dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, it bans any teaching related to sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten to third grade. The bill reads, “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.” Some believe it to be a well-intentioned attempt to protect children from inappropriate subject material. This is incorrect. The bill’s phrasing is purposely subjective in order for it to be manipulated to the greatest possible extent against LGBTQ+ identities. If the bill were taken in its actuality, teachers could choose not to use pronouns such as “she” and “he.” They could boycott material that depicts heterosexual relationships or references the gender binary. They could prohibit any mention of male and female, not allow children to say “mother” or “father,” refuse to acknowledge the difference between “boy” and “girl.” But they won’t. That would be blasphemy. It would give children an inaccurate view of the world. It would spark widespread outrage. Cisgender and heterosexual (cishet) identities are our cultural norm, and they are untouchable. We’ve deemed them worthy of respect, while queerness is scorned, erased, and condemned. In theory, this bill could omit any mention of heterosexuality, but it won’t. Instead, it’s weaponized against discussions of LGBTQ+ identities. The precedent that it sets will only ever be used against queer education. DeSantis stated during a press conference that teaching children “they can be whatever they want to be” is “inappropriate.” Anyone who claims that this bill is not an act of structural trans- and homophobia is in deep denial. Christina Pushaw, DeSantis’ press secretary, tweeted that opponents of “the Anti-Grooming Bill” are “probably groomer[s]” or “at least don’t denounce grooming of 4-8 year old children.” This insinuates that the mere concept of queerness is inherently pedophilic, an argument that is absurd, tired, and overused. Florida lawmakers are using antiquated, untrue reasoning—homosexuality is not any more perverted or corruptive than heterosexuality is, and the double standard is stunningly illogical. This bill does not protect children; it endangers them. Ignorance breeds hate, and anti-queer hate crimes are already at record highs. A 2018 FBI report revealed that 1 in 5 hate crimes stem from anti-LGBTQ+ bias. In 2019, the out LGBTQ community was estimated to be about 5% of the population, and yet we comprised 19% of hate crime victims. 2021 was the deadliest year for transgender people on record, with violence against them increasing by 34% to an all-time high. 57 transgender or nonbinary people were murdered for their gender identity in 2021, and yet these deaths are usually underreported—the actual fatality number is almost certainly higher. Even in death, these victims are still disrespected. 24 people listed in the Human Rights Campaign’s initial report were misgendered by the media or police. The ignorance that the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill breeds will lead to even higher rates of suicide. According to a report from the CDC, 33% of LGBTQ+ youth are bullied in school, compared to 17% of cishet students. Queer youth are three times more likely to attempt suicide, according to the Trevor Project, with 42% of us seriously considering suicide in 2021 and 23% attempting, compared to 5% of cishet peers. All LGBTQ+ youth are at higher risk for suicidal ideation. The amount of queer people I know who have either attempted or seriously contemplated suicide is in the double digits. I’ve gone so far as planning it out myself. The “Don’t Say Gay” Bill sets a dangerous example. Alabama, Ohio, Louisiana, and Texas have all now suggested similar legislation. State lawmakers have proposed 238 bills that limit the rights of LGBTQ+ people in 2022, and 670 anti-LGBTQ bills have been filed since 2018. They condone restricting LGBTQ+ issues in educational curriculums, allowing discrimination against queer people on religious bases, and restricting transgender people’s right to healthcare. Queerness is not wrong, no matter how hard DeSantis may try to convince us it is. When LGBTQ+ children in Florida can’t explain how they feel because they’ve been deliberately restricted from learning any terminology other than “straight” or “male” and “female,” they will hate themselves. This law is a deliberate erasure of LGBTQ identity, and it fosters nothing but ignorance and violence. Last week, the STA-NCS Government Cub chose to debate the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill. When I got the email that announced their topic, I was horrified, as were my queer friends on the Close. We understand that Gov Club tries to choose relevant and controversial topics, but there is no nuance to this law. The Close’s choice to treat this issue as if DeSantis’ proposal is anything less than an attack on queer youth is appalling. The assembly voted 22-8 against the bill, but even the fact that it was deemed a multifaceted, debatable issue is unacceptable. It marks yet another assault on LGBTQ+ students here, joining a thousand other micro- and macro-aggressions: the STA dress code, gay jokes, misgendering and deadnaming, exclusion of queer students from dances and gossip, meals from Chick-fil-A, “hate the sin, love the sinner” mentality, NCS students throwing around “twink” and “fruity,” STA students using “fag” as a punchline, and, worst of all, being unable to correct my peers’ homophobic beliefs because the concept of sinfulness is just a fact to them. Even as a child, I was queer; no aspect of my identity is unpalatable for children. The “Don’t Say Gay” Bill is a completely unacceptable topic of debate, and it must be treated as such. It needs to be condemned by every student on the Close. Sources: https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2018/tables/table-1.xls https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1557/BillText/er/PDF https://twitter.com/ChristinaPushaw/status/1499890719691051008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1499890719691051008%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheweek.com%2Fron-desantis%2F1011011%2Fanyone-who-opposes-floridas-dont-say-gay-bill-is-probably-a-groomer-desantis https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/su/su6901a3.htm?s_cid=su6901a3_w https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2021/?section=Introduction https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/record-4-5-percent-u-s-adults-identify-lgbt-gallup-n877486 https://time.com/6131444/2021-anti-trans-violence/ https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/nearly-240-anti-lgbtq-bills-filed-2022-far-targeting-trans-people-rcna20418 —-- A Note from the Editors-in-Chief: Please see our Comment Policy before making a comment. To quote from our mission statement, the "opinions written are those of the writer and the writer alone." The Exchanged neither endorses nor condones the contents of this article; we are simply a means for the discussion of ideas.
17 Comments
Anonymous
4/18/2022 10:39:34 pm
This article raises some great point about what is wrong with the Florida law, but I wholeheartedly disagree with not debating the bill at all. Firstly, the gov club debated one small section of the bill, not the entire thing (this is an important distinction to make, as the clause debated was more reasonable than some of the other clauses in the law). But even if the club debated the entire law, that would be okay, and even important, too. We can't just not debate the merits of a bill because we find it offensive. These are real laws that are being passed in the United States that could affect us at a later time. Saying we can't debate certain government actions because there is only one automatically right answer is dangerous and scary. We do not live in a nation where only one set of beliefs is allowed. I am not supporting homophobia in any way, but there are some nuances to the bill that should be looked at and thought about by the American people. The day that we deem some topics undebatable is the day the close will lose one of its most cherished characteristics: thoughtful discourse that teaches everyone how to think critically and look at the world and government around them.
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Evelyn Penhoet
4/19/2022 08:23:45 am
You make some very valid points here, and I am swayed by your argument. However, because it is obvious that this bill causes increased violence and hatred against queer people, doesn’t that make it unacceptable to debate? Is it ok to debate whether queer people have the right to safe lives? I don’t think so, and it is incredibly exhausting to argue against people who don’t believe that you should have basic rights, but I also see and support your argument
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anonymous
4/18/2022 10:49:48 pm
Obviously someone hasn’t tried chick-fil-a.
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Anonymous
4/18/2022 10:54:34 pm
Eat mor chikin
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Hearst rat
4/19/2022 06:43:52 pm
ncs chicken💪🏻💪🏻
Anonymous
4/18/2022 11:05:07 pm
While I oppose the Florida bill, it seems rather ridiculous to say that we should not debate it.
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Evelyn Penhoet
4/19/2022 08:26:11 am
You make some very valid points here, and I am swayed by your argument. However, because it is obvious that this bill causes increased violence and hatred against queer people, doesn’t that make it unacceptable to debate? Is it ok to debate whether queer people have the right to safe lives? I don’t think so, and it is incredibly exhausting to argue against people who don’t believe that you should have basic rights. I’m addition, it seems like it is acceptable that there is a side that says that we shouldn’t have rights, and that condones violence against us. However, I also see your argument, and I see that it comes from a supportive direction
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Anonymous
4/19/2022 08:39:49 am
There are two possible scenarios for this bill:
Anonymous
4/19/2022 09:02:32 am
Since the bill does not explicitly condone violence/hate crimes, I think we should be able to debate this. It's often tricky to decide when we need a range of opinions, and when it's simply unethical to disagree. I'm typically of the mindset that almost anything can and should be debated, with very few exceptions for actively hateful topics. However, if we can turn this debate into constructive arguments that clearly state valid points from multiple opinions, we will all better understand the bill and its implications. I think both sides of this need to have better evidence for why the bill will lead to hate crimes, or why teaching about gender and sexuality is grooming, ie. specific examples of similar bills being used to justify hate crimes or actual examples of pedophiles using gender/sexuality education as a cover for their behavior.
Anonymous
4/21/2022 12:33:42 am
See this argument makes no sense. By this logic, if a law could potentially cause harm to a group of people we should not debate it.
Anonymous bi student
4/18/2022 11:14:30 pm
This was a great article. So much of the discussion of micro and macro aggressions and suicidal thoughts was felt way more than it should have been.
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Anonymous
4/18/2022 11:47:05 pm
You have laid out a number of reasons why the Florida Education Bill is wrong--many of them quite valid. At the very least, the bill is poorly written and perhaps an unconstitutional burden on speech.
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Evelyn Penhoet
4/19/2022 08:17:01 am
The reason it is unacceptable to debate it is because we shouldn’t have to argue that our safety is important. We shouldn’t have to argue that we deserve to not live in fear of hate crimes, we shouldn’t have to fight for the basic right of not wanting to commit suicide because of our sexuality and or gender. It is clear that this bill causes all of these things from increase hate to viol now to suicide, so by even putting the bill up for debate, it makes people debate whether violence against LGBTQIA+ people is ok. This should not be an argument, and it is completely unacceptable for people to argue about the basic rights of others. I’m addition, it is not fair to queer students to have to fight people arguing that a bill that will cause increased violence against themselves and their queer siblings is acceptable.
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Anonymous
4/19/2022 08:27:46 am
Whether or not it should be an argument does not change the fact that right now, it is an argument being held across the country. A majority of Americans support the part of the bill that we debated last week. If you want people to change their minds, you have to debate them. How else will you effect change?
Anonymous
4/19/2022 09:04:49 am
Yes, regardless of whether or not it should be debated, it is being debated. Not debating it on the close doesn't change that, it's just an opportunity for students to think critically about their preexisting stance on the topic.
Corebt Darden
4/19/2022 07:55:18 am
Obviously I am saddened at the notion that anyone at STA would sincerely feel suicidal. That is heartbreaking. Also, I am a proponent of politeness to everyone and that in 4 years I have yet to hear a joke with “fag” as the punchline.
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Anonymoos
4/19/2022 08:26:09 pm
This bill prevents indoctrination.
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A Note from the Editors in Chief:The opinions expressed in this article, as with any article, are of the author and author alone. The Exchanged is simply a means through which students can express their ideas without direct oversight from St. Albans or NCS, and its editors neither endorse nor condone the contents of any article. Our Mission Statement and Comment Policy are accessible via the 'About Us' tab.
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