For more than a decade, many Florida schools have relied on “student support guides” to help teachers navigate the delicate issues of LGBTQ+ students in class and after-school clubs.
Now, these guides stand to be undone by Florida’s new Parental Rights in Education law, which critics call “don’t say gay.” Even though the word “gay” is not written in the law, it prohibits instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten through third grade, and potentially restricts instruction for older students, too.
A review by the South Florida Sun Sentinel shows exactly how the law will wipe out many of the school guides’ key provisions, including how the law bans schools from keeping information about students’ gender identity and pronouns from parents if the students request that. The law is based on the idea that parents — not schools — should have the final say about their children.
