White House denounces Florida GOP over 'Don't Say Gay' bill
The White House is slamming Florida Republicans over a proposal to ban discussions of sexual orientation or general identity in the state’s schools
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The White House on Tuesday slammed Florida Republicans over a proposal to ban discussions of sexual orientation or general identity in the state's schools.
A White House spokesperson weighed in on the legislation, dubbed by activists as the “Don't Say Gay” bill, shortly after a GOP-controlled committee approved the measure.
“Every parent hopes that our leaders will ensure their children’s safety, protection, and freedom. Today, conservative politicians in Florida rejected those basic values by advancing legislation that is designed to target and attack the kids who need support the most – LGBTQI+ students, who are already vulnerable to bullying and violence just for being themselves," the White House statement read.
The bill states that "a school district may not encourage classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students." Parents could sue a school district for violations.
The measure, which has also been introduced in the state House of Representatives has drawn widespread condemnation from activist groups who argue it would marginalize LGBTQ children and families and stifle discussions about LGBTQ history. Both bills are still in the committee phase.
Republican Sen. Dennis Baxley, who sponsored the proposal, told lawmakers in the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday that the bill wouldn't forbid spontaneous discussions but would bar districts from incorporating LGBTQ topics into curriculum.
“Some discussions are for with your parents. And I think when you start opening sexual-type discussions with children, you're entering a very dangerous zone,” Baxley said.
Asked about the proposal on Tuesday, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said, “I haven’t looked at any particulars of anything but I do think you’ve seen instances in which kids are encouraged to be doing stuff with like a gender ideology and I think the parents really do need to be involved in that."