Teachers Have The Best Reaction To Florida’s "Don’t Say Gay" Law

The far-right organization Moms for Liberty is freaking out because some teachers in Palm Beach County, Florida are allegedly refusing to use gendered language for straight, cisgender people in the wake of the "Don’t Say Gay" law, instead of just using the law to make LGBTQ+ people invisible.

“What will you do when this arrives home in your child’s backpack?” Moms for Liberty tweeted with a letter to parents they claimed was being used by teachers to comply with the "Don’t Say Gay" law. “Time to take a Stand.”

Florida’s H.B. 1557, which people have been calling the "Don’t Say Gay" law, was signed into law last week by Governor Ron DeSantis (R), and it prohibits teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary school and requires the subjects be discussed in ways that are “developmentally appropriate” in higher grade levels. Under the law, parents are empowered to sue school districts that break the law.

While the "Don’t Say Gay" bill’s proponents have implied that talking about LGBTQ+ people is what the law means when it says sexual orientation and gender identity, nothing in the law’s text actually limits it to just discussions of LGBTQ+ people. So, according to LGBTQ Nation, some teachers are allegedly taking it to its logical conclusion.

“To be in accordance with this policy, I will no longer be referring to your student with gendered pronouns,” the letter template states. “All students will be referred to as ‘they’ or ‘them.’ I will no longer use a gendered title such as ‘Mr.’ or ‘Mrs.’ or make any references to husband/wife in the classroom. From now on I will be using the non-gendered title ‘Mx.’”

“Furthermore, I will be removing all books or instruction which refer to a person being a ‘mother,’ ‘father,’ ‘husband,’ or ‘wife’ as these are gender identities that also may allude to sexual orientation. Needless to say, all books which refer to a character as ‘he’ or ‘she’ will also be removed form the classroom.”

“If you have any concerns about this policy, please feel free to contact your local congressperson.”

Moms for Liberty claims that the template is really being passed around among teachers, but this could not be confirmed.

Read related myGwork articles here:

Florida Governor Signs "Don’t Say Gay" Bill While Surrounded By Kids Holding Anti-LGBTQ+ Signs

Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill Passes State Senate And Heads To The Governor’s Desk

Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill Just Got Another Step Closer To Becoming Law

Florida House Passes Controversial “Don't Say Gay” Bill

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