Florida House Bill 1557

Republican Florida state Sen. Dennis K. Baxley originally introduced SB 1834 "Parental Rights in Education" into the Senate on January 7, 2022, but it later died.[3] On the floor of the Senate, Baxley explained that he wrote the bill to reduce the number of children who are coming out as gay.[4] On January 11, Republican Florida state Rep. Joe Harding along with the Education and Employment Committee introduced a companion version into the House.[3] Known informally as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, it prohibits teachers from discussing LGBT related topics in classrooms from kindergarten to third grade.[5][6]The legislation has been opposed by the American Bar Association,[7] Equality Florida,[8] and U.S. President Joe Biden.[9] Despite that, on February 24, the bill passed the Florida House. It then passed the Florida Senate on March 8, with Baxley in full support.[3]

Supporters of the bill state that discussions about sexuality and gender identity should be handled by a child's parents and not by their schools;[10] DeSantis's Press Secretary Christina Pushaw has called HB 1557 an "Anti-Grooming Bill".[10] Opponents of the bill state that it could further stigmatize LGBT students and that schools should be a place where LGBT topics are discussed.[10]

Dennis Baxley originally proposed the bill in 2021

Some conservatives, such as political commentator Matt Walsh, argue that the bill does not go far enough.[10] Former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard also argued that the bill should have been more expansive. Gabbard stated instead of kindergarten to grade 3, the legislation should encompass students from kindergarten to 12th grade.[11]

There are concerns among some legal scholars that the proposed legislation within Florida could violate the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and could be potentially unconstitutional.[12] Walkouts by students were held in schools across Florida in response to the bill.[13][14] Employees at The Walt Disney Company also planned walkouts over the bill, which culminated in a large protest.[15] The company and CEO Bob Chapek (despite earlier maintaining no stance), as well as Disney heir Charlee Corra all decided to publicly oppose the bill, with Corra also using the moment to come out as transgender. The company received heavy criticism from DeSantis and many conservative media outlets for its opposition to the bill.[16][17] Nationally, 158 companies (including Marriott, Hilton, American Airlines, and AirBNB) signed a Human Rights Campaign petition opposing the bill.[18] The American Psychological Association has also voiced opposition to the law.[19][20]

A University of Florida poll showed voters are divided – 49% strongly or somewhat disapproved of the legislation and 40% strongly or somewhat approved. The poll's small sample size made the margin of error high.[21] In contrast, the Republican political survey and polling firm Public Opinion Strategies poll found that 61% support the legislation while 26% oppose it, 67% of parents support the legislation while 24% oppose it, and 51% of Democrats support the legislation while 29% oppose it.[22]

On March 31, a lawsuit was filed in federal court on behalf of Equality Florida and Family Equality, which sought to block the bill on the grounds that it was unconstitutional. The lawsuit alleged that the bill violates the constitutionally protected rights of free speech, equal protection and due process of students and families, and argued that the bill was an effort to "control young minds" which prevented students from living "their true identities in school".[23][24]

According to Forbes, the bill has the potential to negatively affect the $97 billion tourism industries within Florida.[25]

• Sosin, Kate (April 20, 2022). ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills aren’t new. They’ve just been revived. The 19th. Retrieved April 27, 2022.

• Source Text from the Florida Senate