佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯签署了被称为“家长教育权利法案”批评者提出的“不要说同性恋”法案。
该法案禁止从幼儿园到三年级进行关于性取向或性别认同的课堂教学，并指出，根据立法HB 1557，任何关于这些主题的教学都不能“以不符合国家标准的适合学生年龄或发展的方式”进行。
“我们将确保父母能够送他们的孩子去学校接受教育，而不是灌输，”德桑蒂斯在周一签署该法案前表示。
该立法规定，佛罗里达州教育部将不得不根据要求更新其标准。
根据该法案，父母还可以拒绝学校为其子女提供的任何精神、情感和身体健康服务，学校将被要求通知父母其子女使用学校健康服务，除非有理由认为“披露将使学生遭受虐待、遗弃或忽视。”
如果家长认为学校违反了这些要求或限制，他们可以起诉学校。
该法案预计将于7月1日生效。
“我认为在过去的几年里，家长们真正意识到，在孩子的教育问题上，他们越来越被忽视。我们已经看到为非常非常小的孩子嵌入的课程，关于性的课堂材料和觉醒的性别意识形态。德桑蒂斯在签字仪式上声称:“我们看到图书馆里有明显不适合小孩子的色情材料。”。
该法案在全国范围内引发了辩论和争议。
批评者称，这一禁令旨在让课堂摆脱LGBTQ内容和讨论。
他们说，这会伤害LGBTQ青年，因为他们在课堂上回避代表性和包容性，将这个群体的心理健康和安全置于危险之中。
“让我们明确一点:如果它的模糊语言以任何方式被解释为对一个孩子、老师或家庭造成伤害，我们将对佛罗里达州采取法律行动，挑战这一偏执的立法，”当地LGBTQ倡导团体平等佛罗里达在一份声明中说。
他们还表示，从课程中抹去LGBTQ群体的存在意味着学生应该感到羞耻，或者应该抑制他们的性别认同或性取向。
反对该法案的立法者认为，学生在很小的时候就知道性别认同和性取向，并表示学校应该被允许提供讨论这些话题的空间。
“这是佛罗里达悲伤的一天。佛罗里达州民主党主席曼尼·迪亚兹说:“毫无疑问，罗恩·德桑蒂斯签署了‘不说同性恋’法案，站在了仇恨、欺凌和歧视的一边，并向佛罗里达州的儿童发出了一个明确的信息，即如果他可以利用他们的痛苦来为自己的基础赢得政治分数，他不在乎他们或他们的家人。”“佛罗里达州的家庭应该得到支持他们的领导人，让他们有自由为自己感到骄傲。”
拜登政府谴责并会见了该州的LGBTQ青年及其家人。
教育部长米格尔·卡多纳在一份声明中说:“包括佛罗里达州在内的全国各地的法律都有针对性地试图欺负我们最弱势的学生和家庭，并在我们的学校制造分裂。”
他补充说:“我要告诉你的是，本届政府不会支持任何形式的欺凌或歧视，我们将利用我们的权力来保护、支持LGBTQI+学生和所有学生，并为他们提供机会。”
乔·雷德尔/盖蒂图片社
佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯参加了一场关于加州大学起义的圆桌讨论.
该法案的支持者说，这些讨论和决定应该留给父母。
“我们正在阻止的是一个学区决定他们将创建一个课程来插入他们自己，”该法案的发起人众议员乔·哈丁在播客“从这里开始”中告诉美国广播公司新闻。
他补充道，“家庭就是家庭。让家庭成为家庭。当孩子们还在学习如何阅读和做基础数学的时候，学区不需要介入。”
“这项法案不是为了伤害学生，”佛罗里达州参议员Kelli Stargel在立法辩论中补充说。“这项法案并不是为了排除同性恋儿童。该法案旨在巩固家庭。”
超过十分之六的美国人反对在小学禁止关于性取向或性别认同的课堂教学的立法最近美国广播公司新闻/益普索民意调查发现。
Florida governor signs controversial 'Don't Say Gay' bill into law
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed the Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbedthe "Don't Say Gay" bill by critics.
The bill bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade and states that any instruction on those topics cannot occur "in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards," according to the legislation, HB 1557.
"We will make sure that parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination," DeSantis said before signing the bill Monday.
The legislation states that the Florida Department of Education would have to update its standards in accordance with the requirements.
Under this bill, parents can also decline any mental, emotional and physical health services available to their children at school, and schools will be required to notify parents of their child's use of school health services unless there is reason to believe "that disclosure would subject the student to abuse, abandonment or neglect."
Parents could sue their school district if they believe there is a violation of any of these requirements or restrictions.
The bill is expected to go into effect July 1.
"I think the last couple years have really revealed to parents that they are being ignored increasingly across our country when it comes to their kids education. We have seen curriculum embedded for very, very young children, classroom materials about sexuality and woke gender ideology. We've seen libraries that have clearly inappropriate pornographic materials for very young kids," DeSantis claimed at the signing.
The bill has stirred debate and controversy nationwide.
Critics say that this ban is aimed atridding classrooms of LGBTQ content and discussion.
They say it will harm LGBTQ youth by shunning representation and inclusion in classrooms, putting the mental health and safety of this group at risk.
"Let us be clear: Should its vague language be interpreted in any way that causes harm to a single child, teacher or family, we will lead legal action against the State of Florida to challenge this bigoted legislation," local LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida said in a statement.
They also said erasing the presence of the LGBTQ community from lessons implies students should be ashamed or should suppress their gender identity or sexual orientation.
Legislators against the bill argued that students are aware of gender identity and sexual orientation at a young age and said schools should be allowed to offer spaces to discuss these topics.
“It is a sad day in Florida. Make no mistake, by signing the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, Ron DeSantis is taking the side of hatred, bullying and discrimination and sending a clear message to children in Florida that he doesn’t care about them or their families if he can use their pain to score political points with his base," Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz said. "Florida’s families deserve leaders who will stand up for them and give them the freedom to be proud of who they are."
The Biden administration has denouncedthe legislation and met with LGBTQ youth and their families in the state.
"Laws around the country, including in Florida, have targeted and sought to bully some of our most vulnerable students and families and create division in our schools," Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement.
He added: "My message to you is that this administration won't stand for bullying or discrimination of any kind, and we will use our authorities to protect, support and provide opportunities for LGBTQI+ students and all students."
Supporters of the bill say that these discussions and decisions should be left to the parents.
"What we're preventing is a school district deciding they're going to create a curriculum to insert themselves," Rep. Joe Harding, the sponsor of the bill, told ABC News on the podcast "Start Here."
He added, "Families are families. Let the families be families. The school district doesn't need to insert themselves at that point when children are still learning how to read and do basic math."
"This bill is not intended to hurt students," added Florida state Sen. Kelli Stargel in debate on the legislation. "This bill is not intended to out gay children. This bill is intended to strengthen the family."
More than six in 10 Americans oppose legislation that would prohibit classroom lessons about sexual orientation or gender identity in elementary school, arecent ABC News/Ipsos poll found.
