Democrats Furious Florida Legislature Passed Bill Banning Sexual Orientation Discussions for 5 Year Olds

Democrats and members of the establishment media are falsely claiming that the parental rights bill, passed by the Florida Senate on Tuesday, is “homophobic” and “reprehensible” in nature, despite the fact that it simply states that classroom discussions on sexual orientation or gender identity are prohibited for children kindergarten through third grade.

The Florida Senate passed the Parental Rights in Education bill on Tuesday, triggering further outcry from Democrat and far-left activists, who had falsely labeled the measure the “Don’t Say Gay bill. In actuality, the bill simply prohibits classroom discussions on any sexual orientation or identity for children in kindergarten through third grade. It does not single out any specific word, including the word “gay,” despite the left’s false framing.

“Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards,” the bill’s text reads in part:

Here is the text of Florida bill HB1557, including the portion barring instruction on ‘sexual orientation or gender identity’ from kindergarten through third grade that seemed to upset many Democrats. https://t.co/b57QhoUCXB pic.twitter.com/6VCKdZAspB

— Byron York (@ByronYork) March 8, 2022

Despite that, Democrats are expressing outrage over the measure, which is now sits on Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) desk. Meanwhile, establishment media outlets are continuing to peddle the “Don’t Say Gay” myth in their framing of the news.

The Democrats, specifically, called the bill — banning classroom discussions on sexual orientation from 5-year-olds — a “reprehensible assault on children’s safety, mental health, protection, and freedom”:

NEW: Republicans in the Florida Senate just passed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, sending it to DeSantis’ desk.

This is a reprehensible assault on children’s safety, mental health, protection, and freedom. Democrats won’t stop fighting to protect LGBTQ+ students from these attacks.

— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) March 8, 2022

“Today is a sad day for the people of Florida, and a horrific step backwards in the fight for #LGBTQ+ equality. The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is discriminatory and homophobic, and our students deserve better,” Rep. Frederica Wilson (R-FL) said. “Period”:

Today is a sad day for the people of Florida, and a horrific step backwards in the fight for #LGBTQ+ equality. The “Don’t Say Gay” bill is discriminatory and homophobic, and our students deserve better. Period. https://t.co/Y76OjuOeh6

— Rep. Frederica Wilson (@RepWilson) March 8, 2022

“TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida legislature has passed the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign into law,” the AP’s Zeke Miller tweeted, prompting a sharp response from DeSantis’s press secretary Christina Pushaw, who has continually set the record straight amid the falsehoods, which are widespread on social media:

What’s the bill’s real name, @ZekeJMiller?

Does it mention the word “gay” or LGBT people at all?

Are AP reporters expected to read legislation before writing about it? https://t.co/ckvmxFvmfb

— Christina Pushaw 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) March 8, 2022

“BREAKING: Florida lawmakers have passed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. It now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk,” Axios wrote in a tweet, as CNN followed suit and others claimed the passage to be a “catastrophic violation of human rights and free speech that puts LGBTQ+ lives at risk”:

BREAKING: Florida lawmakers have passed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. It now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk. https://t.co/hoKH13Hqcg

— Axios (@axios) March 8, 2022

Florida Senate passes controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which limits how teachers instruct on sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms. https://t.co/2yQjBlZTsF

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) March 8, 2022

The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill just passed the Florida State Senate. It now heads to Ron DeSantis’s desk for his signature.

This is a catastrophic violation of human rights and free speech that puts LGBTQ+ lives at risk.

— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) March 8, 2022

Over the past week, Gov. DeSantis has repeatedly called out members of the establishment media for misleading the public by touting the false name, “Don’t Say Gay.”

“Does it say that in the bill?” DeSantis asked a reporter during Monday’s press conference: “Does it say that in the bill? I’m asking you to tell me what’s in the bill, because you are pushing false narratives. It doesn’t matter what critics say.”

“It says it bans classroom instruction on sexual identity and gender orientation,” the reporter replied.

“For who? For grades pre-k through three — 5-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 7-year-olds. The idea that you wouldn’t be honest about that and tell people what it actually says– it’s why people don’t trust people like you, because you peddle false narratives,” DeSantis said, adding, “We’re going to make sure that parents are going to be able to send their kids to kindergarten without having some of this stuff injected in their school curriculum”:

JUST NOW: I asked @GovRonDeSantis if he supported HB 1557, the legislation critics call the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.https://t.co/CGiooSrKYn @WFLA https://t.co/H34CGSj7BJ pic.twitter.com/C518l1QaC3

— Evan Donovan (@EvanDonovan) March 7, 2022

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