The rain did not quell the crowd during the “Don’t Say Gay” bill protest in Ft. Lauderdale on March 7. Esplanade Park held around 50 people who were there to show support for the LGBTQ+ community and protest the Parental Rights in Education bill, also known as “Don’t Say Gay,” a bill that critics say is expected to harm LGBTQ+ minors. “Don’t Say Gay” prohibits any talk of sexuality and gender in schools up to grade three but also prohibits any subject matter that is deemed “age inappropriate.” The bill has passed in both the Florida House of Representatives and the Senate and has been signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The protest, which was advertised on the Instagram page of Florida’s Trans Inclusive Group, was held by Safe Schools South Florida along with The AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Although the event was advertised on short notice, it managed to gather local speakers and concerned citizens in South Florida. Students from Nova Southeastern University also attended.
Tony Lima, CEO of SunServe, a local LGBTQ+ activist group, spoke to the crowd along with other members of the community.
“While it’s dark right now, and it looks dark ahead, our unity will help us push past this legislation,” said Lima to the Sun Sentinel.
Near the end of the demonstration, as rain poured on participants, multiple members of the crowd helped hoist up a giant trans pride flag. While the soaked flag was lifted off the grass, miles away in Tallahassee, Florida Democrats tried to mitigate the damage.
Democrats proposed various amendments to the bill to mitigate its damage. Even one Republican, Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg, suggested the wording be changed to “human sexuality or sexual activity” rather than the vague language already used in the bill, according to The Boston Globe and The Miami Herald. However, these attempts were struck down and the bill was passed.
On Feb. 26 in Orlando, the Conservative Political Action Conference – one of the most prominent right-wing events of the year – hosted speakers and pundits who expressed transphobic sentiments. Among them was a panel of right-wing figures: “Silly Doctor! Sex Changes Aren’t for Kids” according to The Miami Herald.
The Biden administration is expected to fight against the legality of the bill after it issued a strong statement when it was introduced in January. Recently, the administration has announced that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office for Civil Rights would protect transgender children and their families who have been investigated by Child Protective Services in Texas due to Gov. Greg Abbott’s law banning gender-affirming care for minors. In a similar statement, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has announced that any school district that passes bills similar to Don’t Say Gay will risk losing federal funding.
“The (HHS) stands with transgender and gender nonconforming youth and their families – and the significant majority of expert medical associations in unequivocally stating that gender affirming care for minors, when medically appropriate and necessary, improves their physical and mental health,” read the March 2 notice.
Activists have vowed to continue the fight over the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, even though Gov. Ron DeSantis siged the bill.
“The bill prohibits classroom instruction about sexuality or things ike ‘transgender’ in K through three classrooms. In Florida, we don’t just think parents should be involved. We insist that they should,” said DeSantis.
