DeSantis Signs Florida Bill That Opponents Call ‘Don’t Say Gay’

MIAMI — Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida signed laws on Monday that prohibits classroom instruction and dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identification in some elementary college grades, a legislation that opponents have referred to as “Don’t Say Homosexual.”

“We’ll ensure that mother and father can ship their children to highschool to get an training, not an indoctrination,” Mr. DeSantis, a Republican, mentioned from a classroom at a constitution college in Spring Hill, Fla., north of Tampa.

The legislation, titled “Parental Rights in Schooling,” has drawn nationwide criticism from L.G.B.T.Q. organizations that worry it is going to have a chilling impact amongst academics and younger college students.

Employees at Disney, one of many state’s main employers and company political donors, staged walkouts in protest after the invoice handed the Legislature, even after the corporate’s chief government had apologized to staff for not taking a stronger stand in opposition to the laws and paused contributions to political campaigns. On Sunday evening, the Oscar hosts Amy Schumer, Regina Corridor and Wanda Sykes chanted “homosexual, homosexual, homosexual,” in a nod to the Florida laws. President Biden called the proposal “hateful.”

“DeSantis is making an attempt to censor and exclude a whole group of individuals from our public faculties for his personal political achieve,” State Consultant Carlos Guillermo Smith, an Orlando Democrat and the state’s first overtly homosexual Latino lawmaker, mentioned in a press release. “This legislation doesn’t remedy any drawback that exists.”

The uproar did little to maneuver the governor or lawmakers within the Republican-controlled Legislature, who spent a lot of their annual session passing laws to place Florida on the forefront of the nation’s tradition wars, together with a 15-week abortion ban, whereas avoiding urgent points such because the state’s lack of reasonably priced housing and shaky insurance coverage market.

If something, the opposition from progressive activists, company boardrooms and A-list stars made Mr. DeSantis, who faces re-election in November and clearly harbors presidential ambitions, extra of a warrior determine to his political base.

“If these are the forms of individuals which might be opposing us on mother and father’ rights, I put on that like a badge of honor,” he mentioned on the invoice signing. “I don’t care what company media shops say, I don’t care what Hollywood says, I don’t care what large companies say. Right here I stand. I’m not backing down.”

He spoke behind a lectern with a campaign-style check in entrance studying, “PROTECT CHILDREN SUPPORT PARENTS,” and held up posters exhibiting what he mentioned have been examples of instructing supplies present in some Florida faculties, together with an obvious web page from an image e-book a couple of transgender boy.

Mr. DeSantis argued that the legislation is a well-liked, common sense measure restricted in scope to the varsity curriculum. He blasted critics for what he mentioned was willfully misinterpreting its provisions, although a number of the language within the legislation is obscure and topic to interpretation.

“They’re doing it as a result of they really help having woke gender ideology within the first grade,” the governor mentioned.

The legislation might have far-reaching implications to youngsters in different grades and with none connection to L.G.B.T.Q. points. It can permit mother and father to choose out of counseling and psychological well being companies and to sue college districts for any perceived violations. Districts must cowl the prices of these lawsuits.