Don’t Say Gay Florida: Governor Ron DeSantis doubles down on controversial LGBTQ+ bill

A proposed rule from the Florida Board of Education could expand restrictions on classroom instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity.

“In grades 4 through 12, teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited unless such teaching is expressly required by state academic standards…or is part of a reproductive health class or health lesson for which a student’s parent has the option to have their student not attend,” according to the proposed rule.

This rule would build on the Parental Rights in Education Act that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law in March 2022. The law prohibits classroom teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity. from kindergarten to third grade.

It states that any instruction on these subjects cannot occur “in a manner that is not appropriate for the age or development of the students in accordance with state standards”, according to the legislation.

SEE ALSO: Florida bill would ban gender studies and give Governor Ron DeSantis more power over state universities

A spokesperson for the governor told ABC News’ Rachel Scott in a statement, “There is no reason for instructions about sexual orientation or gender identity to be part of the public education of K-12. Full stop.”

The law was dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law by critics, who said it was aimed at shunning LGBTQ identities from classroom content and discussions.

Laura McGinnis of the LGBTQ advocacy group PFLAG told ABC News that “everyone has a sexual orientation and a gender identity. It seems like this rule would make it impossible to do a lot of instructions.”

This rule, passed by the seven-member council, coincides with other laws being considered by the state legislature.

HB 1223 would prohibit classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity from pre-K through 8th grade, and would not require any employee or student to refer to another person using their “personal title”. or preferred pronouns” if it does not match that person’s gender. The proposed legislation would also make it a statewide public school policy that “it is wrong to assign a person a pronoun that does not correspond to that person’s gender.”

A hearing on the board’s proposed policy will be held April 19 at the Florida State Capitol Complex.