This week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the "Parental Rights in Education" bill — otherwise known colloquially as the "Don't Say Gay" bill — into law. While the law doesn't explicitly ban the word "gay" in schools, it aims to withhold any discussions in the classroom about gender identity and sexual orientation for children in kindergarten through third grade.
There are some unknowns around the effects of the law, which goes into effect on July 1, as it seems to have some intentional vagueness built into it. The bill says parents can sue in court if they believe a school violates the new law — which puts Florida's teachers in a potentially dangerous and precarious situation. While Florida teachers have said classroom discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity aren't usually part of the curriculum, talking about a student's family is — and many teachers have expressed concerns about what this means for students who have same-sex parents or family members.
