ORLANDO, Fla. — Students and teachers can no longer use sexual orientation in Florida classrooms unless it is part of instruction, under a settlement reached Monday between Florida education officials and civil rights lawyers who challenged the state law. and be able to speak freely about gender identity, what critics have called it. “Please don’t call me gay.”
The settlement clarifies what is allowed in Florida classrooms, following the passage of a law two years ago banning sexual orientation and gender identity instruction in early grades. It is.
Opponents said the law created confusion about whether teachers could identify themselves as LGBTQ+ or put rainbow-colored stickers in their classrooms.
Other states have used Florida’s law as a template to pass bans on classroom instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation.
Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and North Carolina are the states that have enacted this law.
Under the terms of the settlement, the Florida Board of Education will send instructions to school districts stating that Florida law does not prohibit discussions about LGBTQ+ people, interfere with anti-bullying rules based on sexual orientation or gender identity, or prevent gay This is not something that I would disapprove of. Straight Alliance group.
The settlement also states that the law is neutral, meaning that what applies to LGBTQ+ people also applies to straight people, and does not apply to library books not used in classrooms. It is also stated that.
“What this settlement will do is reestablish the fundamental principles that I hope all Americans agree on: that every child in this country should feel safe and have their own dignity. “They have the right to receive an education in a public school where their children are respected and safe, where families and parents are welcome,” Roberta Kaplan, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said in an interview. “This is not controversial.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office said in a statement that the agreement is a “huge victory” that will leave the law in place.
“The settlement agreed to today by both sides ensures the survival of the law, and we expect this case to be dismissed by the court soon,” it said in a statement.
The law, officially known as the Parental Rights in Education Act, has been supported by the Republican governor even before it was passed by the Republican-led Florida Legislature in 2022.
The law bans teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, and was expanded to all grades last year.
Republican lawmakers had argued that parents should bring up these topics with their children and that the law protects children from being taught inappropriate material.
However, opponents of the law argued that it would have a chilling effect on classrooms. Some teachers said they were unsure whether it was okay to mention or display photos of same-sex partners in the classroom. In some cases, books dealing with LGBTQ+ topics have been removed from classrooms, and lines referring to sexual orientation have been removed from school musicals.
Despite adopting a resolution recognizing LGBTQ History Month a year ago, the Miami-Dade County Board of Education has decided not to do so in 2022.
The law also concerns the ongoing legal battle between DeSantis and Disney over control of Walt Disney World’s management district in central Florida, after DeSantis took control of the government in retaliation for opposition to the bill. It triggered a struggle.
DeSantis touted a fight against Disney while running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, but called off that campaign earlier this year.
Civil rights lawyers sued Florida education officials on behalf of teachers, students and parents, arguing the law was unconstitutional, but a federal judge in Tallahassee ruled last year that there was no standing to sue. The lawsuit was dismissed. The case was appealed to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Kaplan said that while the appeals court would have reversed the lower court’s decision, he believes continued litigation will delay resolution for several more years.
“We didn’t want any more delays for Florida’s children,” Kaplan said.
