Fiss, 12/1/2022
On March 8th, 2022, the Florida Senate passed the Parental Rights in Education bill, known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This bill prevents educators in Florida from talking about LGBTQ+ history to certain grades, as well as eliminates “safe spaces” for students. So, what are the consequences of censoring education about LGBTQ+ individuals?
Banning conversations about LGBTQ+ history can cause students to feel isolated and ashamed if they are LGBTQ+, can lead to ignorance and insensitivity later in life when students encounter the real world with all its diversity, and contributes to the heavy stigma associated with LGBTQ+ individuals.
With the Parental Rights in Education bill being passed in Florida, people are speaking out about the consequences of censorship in education. “What happens if a child being raised by a same-sex couple draws a picture of their two dads?” A question Kara Gross, the Legislative Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, posed when contacting TIME (time.com). It poses the question: what if a class is asked to draw a family tree but a student has two dads, or two moms? Does the teacher allow them to participate and then open themselves up to potential legal consequences? Or force a student to feel isolated and confused after being told not to show their drawing because their family could make other people uncomfortable? A situation like this could isolate a child and family for simply existing and adds to stigma around LGBTQ+ identities.
The bill “prohibits school district personnel from discouraging or prohibiting parental notification & involvement in critical decisions affecting student's mental, emotional, or physical well-being” (flsenate.gov). This section of the bill takes away any sort of guaranteed “safe space” that students, especially LGBTQ+ students, might seek out to freely discuss their identity without parental knowledge. It is essential for the mental health of students to have an outlet to discuss their well-being, mental health, and sexuality; particularly when these students do not feel comfortable speaking with family about those concerns.
Schools should be a place where students go to learn, grow, and feel safe. The role of public education is to teach children about the world around them; this includes topics that may be controversial. “LGBTQ students are 140x more likely than heterosexual students to miss school due to safety concerns” (Defend LGBTQ Stories). This highlights how important it is to normalize and educate about LGBTQ+ identities, so they can feel safe to attend school. Those who grow up without LGBTQ+ identities being normalized and accepted, have a higher chance of being hostile towards those in the LGBTQ+ community. According to the NCAC, 9 out of 10 LGBTQ+ students regularly face teasing, bullying, and even violence (“Defend LGBTQ Stories”).
Some say that parents should have a choice when and if they educate their children about certain topics. For example, “Rep. Joe Harding, the Republican who introduced the bill, said the measure is about "empowering parents" and improving the quality of life for the state's children,” but this is simply not true (nbcnews.com). Those who believe this bill is improving life for students are not looking deeply enough into the challenges LGBTQ+ students face. If a topic makes a family uncomfortable, it does not mean it isn’t real and should be hidden from the youth. This bill does not empower parents, it opens up a whole world for them to dictate what they want their children to be learning. “There are many cases throughout “censorship history” that involve the removal of one or two books or forms of teaching to appease one group of parents, only to have another set of censorship opportunities requested by another group. (“Censorship In Schools”). Letting parents' feelings dictate this new bill is irresponsible.
The benefits of educating children about LGBTQ+ history far outweigh the almost nonexistent disadvantages. “While parents may be tempted to shelter their children from issues that they find unfavorable or offensive, they may be restricting their child’s ability to grow and learn at the same time.” (“Censorship In Schools”). This bill, can make LGBTQ+ children, or those with LGBTQ+ family, feel isolated, and take away “safe spaces” for students. Censoring LGBTQ+ topics can lead to shame and self hatred within LGBTQ+ children as well as hostility towards these individuals. Everyone should be aware of the harmful effects of bills like these and take that into consideration when voting. For those who cannot vote, seek to make spaces safe for LGBTQ+ individuals and continue to educate yourself and others on the topic. There needs to be a stop to the censorship of LGBTQ+ history and identities in school.
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