JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A bill that would prohibit discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in the classroom when it's not age appropriate is one step closer to becoming law in Florida.
House Bill 1557, dubbed the Don't Say Gay bill by critics, passed in the House Thursday in a 69 to 47 vote. A few Republicans voted against party lines against the bill. LGBTQ advocacy groups, though, are worried about how the bill will affect LGBT students.
“LGBT youth are a vulnerable population, and if they continue to be stigmatized, it leads to poor outcomes," Dan Merkan, Director of Policy for JASMYN, a group that supports LGBTQ young people, said. "You know, young people are going to experience more isolation, depression, possible, you know, suicidal ideation and attempts," he said.
According to The Trevor Project, in 2021, 42 percent of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.
“It's a stigmatizing bill, the bad bill, and it's going to have repercussions for LGBT people and their families and LGBT youth in particular," Merkan said.
The bill would also give parents the right to "make decisions regarding upbringing and control of their children."
The bill's sponsor, Republican Representative Joe Harding, said the bill is about empowering parents to be engaged in their children's lives. He also said the bill wouldn't prohibit students from talking about their LGBTQ families, or stop discussion about LGBTQ history, like the attack on the Pulse nightclub.
“This bill is yet another attack on our community, the LGBTQ community, and I decided to wear my rainbow Pulse ribbon upside down as a symbol that the LGBTQ community is under distress," Democratic Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, who is gay, said.
Guillermo Smith spoke out against the Parental Rights in Education bill, House Bill 1557, on the House floor.
“My concern is that the bill itself sends a terrible message to LGBTQ youth that conversations about LGBTQ people are dangerous. They're not dangerous," Guillermo Smith said.
“My message to LGBTQ youth who are seeing news about this bill, or might be struggling with conversations or support from parents at home, just know that you are loved. You are supported. There's people like myself who are fighting for you every day, because fighting for your life and fighting for you is worth it," Guillermo Smith said.
Friday, Republican Senator Jeff Brandes filed an amendment that would change the language of the bill from prohibiting discussion about "sexual orientation or gender identity" to prohibiting discussion about "human sexuality."
Guillermo Smith said the amendment is a step in the right direction, and he urges senators to support this change in the bill.
"Brandes’ amendment would deescalate opposition to the bill by removing language which singles out the LGBTQ community for classroom censorship," Guillermo Smith said.
The bill heads to the Republican-held Senate Monday.