Link; HB 1069
Image; Republican Representative Stan McClain
The summary of this bill as stated by the Florida Senate:
"Includes requirements for specific terminology and instruction relative to health and reproductive education in schools and requires that all materials used for such instruction be approved by the Department of Education.
"Extends the prohibition on classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity to prekindergarten through grade 8.
"The bill prohibits district school boards from imposing or enforcing requirements that personnel or students be referenced with pronouns that do not correspond with biological sex as defined in the bill, subject to specified exceptions.
"The bill enhances the process for transparency and review of library and classroom materials available to students in public schools and the process for parents to limit student access to materials and make objections to materials. The bill requires the suspension of materials alleged to contain pornography or obscene depictions of sexual conduct, as identified in current law, pending resolution of an objection to the material. A district school board must also discontinue the use of any material the board does not allow a parent to read aloud.
"The bill requires that meetings of committees to resolve objections must be noticed and open to the public, and provides an appeals process through a special magistrate."
This bill is stated to protect children in public schools and specifies requirements for age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate instruction for all students in prekindergarten through grade 12.
I'd like to focus on the parts of the bill for those children in grades eight and below: "prohibition on classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity to prekindergarten through grade 8." This was already in effect for children up until grade three (usually up to 10 years of age). Now it's in effect for kids up to the age of fourteen. For AFAB (assigned female at birth), children who likely start puberty anywhere from the ages of eight through thirteen will not get the information they need. While I agree parents should be giving this information and not schools, I know that most parents don't.
Another key point to bring up is that in Section Two (starting on line 86), public education in Florida no longer recognizes Gender Identity. Pronouns and preferred names are no longer required to be adhered to. While it never was expressively required, this protects transmisiac (using the suffix -misia as it comes from the Greek word for hate or hatred rather than phobia) individuals when they chose to directly target trans students up until the twelfth grade.
There is so much wrong with this bill. Sadly it was passed in both the house and the senate and going into effect July 1st, 2023.
What is wrong with our country,
Lain (they/them)
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