Florida’s homophobic ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill aka House Bill 1557 goes before the Florida State Senate tomorrow, Monday February 28th. But on Friday Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes added an amendment that would effectively abdicate the bill’s pernicious aspects.
Friday, Republican Senator Jeff Brandes filed an amendment that would change the language of the bill from prohibiting discussion about “sexual orientation or gender identity” to prohibiting discussion about “human sexuality.”
The bill heads to the Republican-held Senate Monday.
‘Parental Rights in Education,’ that would replace the ban on classroom instruction about “sexual orientation or gender identity” with the words “human sexuality or sexual activity.”
Fla. Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, has been one of the most outspoken critics of the legislation as the legislature’s first out gay Hispanic representative.
Smith told 8 On Your Side he supports the new amendment.
“Brandes’ amendment would de-escalate opposition to the bill by removing language which singles out the LGBTQ community for censorship in the classroom,” Smith said. “It is a step in the right direction and I would urge Senators to support this change.”
Similar amendments filed to the bill in the House failed, but Brandes told 8 On Your Side on Friday that he expects “broad support for this amendment.”
House Bill 1557, entitled Parental Rights in Education, forces school districts to adopt procedures that “reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children.”
That includes notifying parents if there are changes “related to the student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being”; prohibiting policies that encourage students to withhold information from parents; allowing parents access to their child’s student records; giving parents the right to withhold consent for any healthcare services offered by the school; and obtaining permission from parents before administering any well-being questionnaire or health screening.
The bill also forces schools to respond to parent concerns within a week and resolve those issues within a month. If the school or district cannot or will not resolve the concern, parents can request a resolution from the Florida Commissioner of Education via appointment of a special magistrate. If adopted, parents would also be able to sue the school district for any violations of the new law.
The portion of the bill derided by critics who spawned its ‘Don’t Say Gay’ nickname currently states “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
Two sponsors of the bill are from Tampa Bay: Fla. Reps. Chris Latvala, R-Clearwater, and Randy Maggard, R-Dade City.
HB 1557, and Brandes’ amendment, will be heard in the Senate Appropriations committee on Monday at 10:30 a.m.
CALL BRANDES’ OFFICE TOMORROW AND THANK HIM FOR THE AMENDMENT (727) 563-2100.
