LGBTQ advocates — including orgs, students, parents and a teacher — sued Florida and the DeSantis admin over the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The lawsuit called it 'an unlawful attempt to stigmatize, silence, and erase LGBTQ people in Florida’s public schools.”
Demonstrators gather to speak in front of the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee after House Republicans advanced the "Don't Say Gay" bill. | Wilfredo Lee/AP PhotoTALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A group of LGBTQ advocates, including organizations, students, parents and a teacher, sued Florida and the DeSantis administration in federal court Thursday over recently passed parental rights legislation branded as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by opponents.
Lawyers for the group argue that the bill violates the First and 14th Amendments to the United States Constitution and federal Title IX rules, signaling an “extraordinary government intrusion on the free speech and equal protection rights” in public schools. “The law not only stigmatizes and silences those vulnerable students, exacerbating risks to their welfare, but also threatens school officials who foster a safe and inclusive environment for them,” attorneys wrote in the complaint., prohibits teachers from leading classroom lessons on gender identity or sexual orientation for students in kindergarten through third grade. It also bans such lessons for older students unless they are “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate.
“This law does not single out any particular group, orientation, or identity. It does not prohibit student-prompted discussion,” Bryan Griffin, deputy press secretary for DeSantis, wrote in a statement in response to the legal challenge. “We are confident it is legal to protect young children and parental rights.”
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