Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Law Reveals Schisms in American Socio-political Discourse

Florida Gov. Ron Desantis (pictured) speaks at an elementary school as he pushes what he calls as a bill to protect parental rights. Image Source: Tampa Bay Times

This past Monday, Gov. Ron Desantis of Florida signed a bill that established a number of parental rights in education. The first section of the legislation strictly prohibits “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity” from kindergarten through third grade. Corporations, such as the Walt Disney Company, have not been afraid to speak out against the law, though Desantis remains increasingly combative to their criticisms. 

The passing of this legislation and the subsequent debate it has caused reveal multiple schisms within American political ideology. The first of these entails how much oversight parents have in the education of their children. Especially since COVID-19 began, some parents have become worried that they are losing say in how their children are educated. Many parents openly oppose schools requiring vaccine mandates on their children. Critical Race Theory has similarly become a buzzword in arguments over how race relations should be taught in schools. Another aspect related to this debate includes fundamental disagreements over sexual orientation and gender identity. Desantis publically made it a part of his agenda to fight against “woke indoctrination” from the Left. LGBTQ advocates have rebutted his claims, and groups, such as the Trevor Project, view these moves as an attack against the queer community.

During his time as governor, Desantis has arguably become the most influential champion of the“anti-woke” agenda. Earlier in March, he also helped pass the Stop Wrongs Against Our Kids and Employees Act, or the Stop W.O.K.E. Act, which prohibits schools from teaching that “an individual’s moral character or status as either privileged or oppressed is necessarily determined by his or her race, color, sex, or national origin.” The “Don’t Say Gay” bill is an extension of this specific discussion of sex and sexuality in a school setting. Desantis and others often paint children as particularly vulnerable to unjust indoctrination. They fear schools may be introducing complex topics such as sexuality and race to children who are too young to understand the complexities of these matters. Teaching children that “they can be whatever they want to be” could be particularly dangerous to undeveloped children, argued Desantis at his signing of the legislation. His appeal to parental rights in education similarly adheres to ideals of social conservatism. Such ideology views parents, not the state, as the most significant authority figure in a child’s life. The fact that more Americans identify as LGBTQ than ever is a worrisome development for social conservatives, who view same-sex marriage as a foundational aspect of Western culture.

Opponents fear that this newly signed law will continue the history of oppression against the queer community. A recent CDC study found that 43% of transgender youth, 29% of gay youth, and 31% of bisexual youth have been bullied on school property. These percentages remain significantly higher than the 17% of cisgender who have been bullied at school. The Trevor Project, the largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth in the United States, condemned Desantis and Florida legislators for attempts at “erasing LGBTQ identity, history, and culture– as well as LGBTQ students themselves.” The Walt Disney Company also vowed to have the legislation repealed. In a statement on Twitter, the company pledged its commitment to “standing up for the rights of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.” This response came after Disney workers staged a walk-out in response to the legislation.

Interests groups and organizations like the Trevor Project and Disney also argue that the legislation attempts to fix a problem that does not exist. Topics such as gender identity and orientation are already not a part of Florida state curriculum in elementary schools. Michael Woods, a special education teacher in Palm Beach County, summarized this argument by contending, “It was a solution in search of a problem, and the sad part about it is, I think it’s going to have a chilling effect on making sure that young people, students have a safe learning environment.” Much of the opposition perceives Desantis’ moves to be an outright attack against the LGBTQ community rather than a protection of parental rights.

Desantis’ emergence as one of the most influential conservative voices speaks to the growing importance social issues have in American political discourse. As shown in this specific situation, Democrats and Republicans have found it increasingly difficult to agree on social issues concerning topics of gender, sexual orientation, family, and race. Unless a change can be achieved within America’s political discourse, this discrepancy will continue to widen.