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On Thursday, the Florida House of Representatives passed both the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill and the equally problematic “Stop WOKE Act.”
Florida’s House passed the Parental Rights in Education bill — known to its critics as “Don’t Say Gay” — on Thursday in a 69-47 vote. It now moves to the Senate, where a similar piece of legislation is already being debated.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signaled support for the bill, but has not indicated whether he would sign it if it reached his desk. Should the bill become law, Florida educators would be barred from speaking to primary school students about certain LGBTQ+ topics that are not considered “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”
It would also allow parents to sue school districts that go against the law.
The White House also condemned the bill, saying it would make growing up harder for kids.
“I want every member of the LGBTQI+ community — especially the kids who will be impacted by this hateful bill — to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are,” President Joe Biden said in a statement regarding the bill. “I have your back, and my Administration will continue to fight for the protections and safety you deserve.”
Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, a Democrat representing part of Orange County, said the bill “sends a terrible message to our youth — that there is something so wrong, so inappropriate, so dangerous about this topic that we have to censor it from classroom instruction.”
The Florida House also passed the “Stop WOKE Act” by a vote of 74-41. If signed into law, the bill would limit protected speech in workplaces with more than fifteen employees and classrooms by censoring honest dialogue about systemic racism, gender, and race discrimination.
It would also change Florida’s employment discrimination statutes to give employees the ability to file discrimination claims against an employer engaging in trainings or discussions about Black history, LGBTQ+ issues, and other concepts of injustice and discrimination.
Republicans in favor of the bill argued children should be taught history but should not be made to feel ashamed or guilt because of an act that they did not commit.
“I feel like there’s a theme here, because we are passing legislation to censor our workplaces and our schools,” Rep. Smith said on the House floor.
“This is a classic example of structural racism,” Rep. Ramon Alexander, a Democrat representing Gadsden and part of Leon counties, said. “When you use systems and structures to determine what is and what is not, that is structural racism.”
Both of these bills still need to be approved by the Senate and the governor before they become law.
Equality Florida, an LGBTQ advocacy group, said in a written statement Thursday:
“If signed into law, these bills will have disastrous impacts on classrooms and workplaces. They will turn Florida into a surveillance state and give the government broad license to censor conversations about American history, the origins of racism and injustice, and the existence of LGBTQ people.”
