February 24, 2022
Cited article by Matt Lavietes, NBC News
HRRC stands firmly against Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill. If signed into law, this bill could be extremely detrimental to the mental health of Florida's youth, regress the rights of Florida's LGBTQ+ community, and enable further discrimination.
Article Summary
The Florida House of Representatives passed a bill that would prohibit the discussion on sexual orientation or gender identities in state primary schools. The bill, also called the "Don't Say Gay" bill, is expected to be signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis. Rep. Joe Harding (pictured above) introduced the bill, claiming that it is about "empowering parents" and improving quality of life for children in the state.
Critics claim the broad language in the bill exposes school districts to a myriad of lawsuits targeting LGBTQ+ topics that the public deem inappropriate. Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, a Democrat who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, stood firmly against the bill, stating it goes "beyond the text on its page" and will send a message to the youth in schools that LGBTQ+ topics are inappropriate or wrong, and thus dangerous enough to warrant censorship in classrooms.