The administration of Florida Governor
Ron DeSantis has proposed expanding a law dubbed “Don't Say Gay”
by its critics.
The current law took effect in July. It
prohibits classroom “instruction” on sexual orientation and
gender identity in grades K-3 and restricts discussion on such topics
in grades 4-12.
The DeSantis administration has
proposed expanding the law to include all grades.
According to the AP, such a move would
not require legislative approval.
The White House condemned the proposal
as “utterly wrong.”
“It's wrong, it's completely, utterly
wrong,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said,
calling it “part of a disturbing and dangerous trend that we're
seeing across the nation” of targeting the LGBTQ community.
Former Florida Representative Carlos
Guillermo Smith, the first openly LGBTQ Latin person elected to the
Florida Legislature, tweeted: “It was never, ever, ever, ever,
about kindergarten thru 3rd grade. It was always about
demonizing us and censoring LGBTQ people out of existence in our
schools.”
The state Board of Education, which is
led by a DeSantis appointee, has scheduled a vote next month on the
proposal.