Student Opinion – Here’s What The Florida “Don’t Say Gay” Bill Actually Says

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 1557, the Parental Rights in Education Bill on March 28. Critics and opponents dubbed it the “don’t say gay” bill, but there is a huge problem with this moniker. The bill does not prohibit the use of the word gay, nor does the word appear anywhere in the text. 

The bill prohibits discussion of sexual topics in kindergarten through third grade while also requiring parents to be notified when certain topics are discussed or when important decisions about the children need to be made. To most, this seems like a commonsense proposal, with up to 61% of voters supporting the bill according to a poll by Public Opinion Strategies. This widespread support has done little to curb the massive outrage heard both in Florida and around the country. 

President Biden called the bill hateful on Twitter. According to NPR, some Florida teachers fear the bill is too restrictive and will muzzle any and all discussion of a child’s or a teacher’s home environment if someone in the home is LGBT. 

The Walt Disney Company came out with a statement vowing that the company’s goal is “for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts,” with the company pledging to support organizations that will achieve that goal. 

The most striking part of the debate around this bill is the competing narratives on both sides. Supporters of the bill often point to the text of the bill itself, arguing that it is a commonsense piece of legislation that rids the classroom of inappropriate discussion and advances parental rights. This argument appears to be supported by the above mentioned poll, and when voters read the text for themselves, they are more likely to be in support. Opponents, however, see the bill as an immediate threat to those in the LGBT community. 

The bill seems to be a commonsense measure. Up until now, it was considered inappropriate to have discussions with children in this age bracket about any sexual issues, much less about topics such as gender identity and sexual orientation. This brings up a very compelling question, why does Disney and other corporations that oppose the bill want kindergarten through third grade teachers talking to their students about sex? 

Some have theorized that those opposed to the bill have that stance for nefarious reasons. Some conservative commentators, such as the Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles, have stated that the bill’s opponents want to groom children because of their own sexual perversion. Disney’s history with employees being caught in trafficking rings gives some weight to this argument, but the true reasons may be much different. 

As noted by Boston Children’s Hospital, the brains of young children are very impressionable, much more so than those of adults. This means that it is a lot easier to implant ideas into children’s minds that will stay with them for their lifetime. This could very well be the goal of teachers and companies opposed to the Florida bill. 

By teaching that biology does not matter, the idea that men can become women and vice versa leads to trends. By teaching countless genders, not just the scientifically proven two, radical teachers can ensure a generation will come up believing lies, and begin to view them as fact. 

This is not an isolated idea, but rather part of a larger effort to attack the ideas of objective truth and traditional values for cultural Marxists to pave the way for revolution in the United States. Those advocating these ideas will not stop until their agenda and worldview is dominant in culture and the ideas of the past, including biblical values, are destroyed. It begins through indoctrination and ends at the expense of our biblical principles. 

It is the duty of Christians to make sure that these radical ideas are not made mainstream by supporting legislation like what has been enacted in Florida and engaging in the culture. Many have said that politics is downstream of culture, so the only way to ensure that radical agendas are not legislated into law is to defeat them culturally before they have a chance to take hold. 

Hughes is an opinion writer. Follow him on Twitter.

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