What is the “Don’t Say Gay” bill?

Formally known as the Parental Rights in Education bill, HB 1557 was introduced in Florida’s Congress by Republican Rep. Joe Harding on Jan. 11 as a way of limit- ing how and when educators can discuss gender and sexual orientation in “primary grade level” classrooms.

HB 1557 applies to classrooms from kindergarten to third grade and limits class- room instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in those classrooms, “or in a manner that is not age appropriate or de- velopmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”

HB 1557 also allows parents the abili- ty to view their child’s education and health records, specifically requiring schools to notify parents if there is a “change in the student’s services or monitoring related to the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being.”

With this bill, parents would have more opportunities to take legal action against schools they believe to be in violation of the act.

Where does the name “Don’t Say Gay” come from?

The LGBTQIA+ community and allies named HB 1557 the “Don’t Say Gay” bill be- cause the bill would prohibit teachers from discussing LGBT issues. The bill was written with the idea in mind that subjects on gen- der and sexual orientation are not “appro- priate” for certain age groups.

Where is the bill currently?

If the bill is approved by Florida’s Sen- ate, which is Republican controlled, then it will move on to be approved by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has suggested that he supports this bill. The bill would then be signed into law and take effect on July 1.

How is the bill being received?

High school students across the state of Florida have been staging walkouts in protest of the bill. The bill has also re- ceived a lot of attention from LGBT com- munity members and allies, with the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, publicly explaining the danger of this bill. President Joe Biden has also denounced the bill and expressed his solidarity with LGBT communities.

Are there other bills like this in other states?

This bill is one of many that target LGBT communities and women in Florida. For example, the Florida House committee is looking to pass another bill which allows health care providers and insurers to refuse services that they morally don’t believe in. Currently, there are 15 other bills similar to HB 1557 that have been proposed in nine other states.