The "Don't Say Gay" Bill: Queerphobia in Education and Society (By Clara Carter-Klauschie)

The civil rights and mental health of queer youth in America are currently under attack. Queerphobia is an illness perpetuated by a country that is held back from progress by ideas of the past, which have no place in a tolerant future. Thanks to both new legislation and outdated, but stubborn ideas, there is a powerful anti-LGBTQIA2S+ rhetoric ingrained in the American education system, which is detrimental to the mental health of the children this system is built to support. It is vital to confront the truth that LGBTQIA2S+ youth are four times more likely to commit suicide than their straight/cisgender counterparts, a societal ill that is a product of queerphobia in upbringing and education. Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, is just one instance of queerphobia infiltrating education, masquerading as an initiative to protect children. If only the bill’s proponents would reveal its true goal: to build disacceptance of sexual and gender identity diversity and self-hate within queer youth.

The “Don’t Say Gay” bill was signed into law in Florida by Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis, on March 28, 2022, and went into effect at the start of the 2022-2023 school year. The bill restricts discussions about LGBTQIA2S+ topics that are not deemed "age or developmentally appropriate" in schools, in an attempt to control students’ exposure to queer identities. However, it fails to specify what topics are considered "age appropriate" for different grades, nor the individuals who would have the power to make these decisions.

Under this new law, parents would be allowed to sue their child’s school if they believed a conversation about LGBTQIA2S+ topics had taken place, further dissuading schools and teachers in Florida from having important and affirming discussions with students about sexual orientation and gender identity. With new limits on dialogue about LGBTQIA2S+ topics in schools, children may have difficulty accessing information essential to their mental health, resulting in further stigmatization of LGBTQIA2S+ identities. These factors may make schools unsafe environments for students who are queer, due to a lack of support from school staff and increased bullying from peers as a result of enforced alienation and ostracism within school systems.

Possibly the most detrimental specification made in the “Don’t Say Gay” bill is that Florida schools are required to out children identified as LGBTQIA2S+ to their parents within six weeks of discovering their sexual orientation or gender identity. Kids who are outed may be more likely to experience abuse, rejection and abandonment from their families. Among LGBTQIA2S+ youth, only one-third experience parental acceptance, while one-third experience parental rejection and one-third do not come out until they reach adulthood. LGBTQIA2S+ young adults who have experienced severe rejection from parents are six times more likely to report serious depression and eight times more likely to report attempting suicide. Suicidal ideation is already extremely prevalent in queer youth, with demographics revealing that suicide is the second most common cause of death in the US, and a 2022 survey showing that 45% of queer youth considered suicide in the past year. This transparently queerphobic piece of legislation will only serve to augment already standing mental health issues. Although many may attempt to paint queerphobia as an issue of the past, the continued presence of this prejudice and discrimination is evidenced by the ubiquity of harmful pieces of legislation like the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which aim to extinguish acceptance and even awareness of LGBTQIA2S+ people.

Supporters of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill claim that it gives parents and guardians more control over the upbringing of their children. They back the passing of this bill under the idea that teaching acceptance of gender identities and sexualities, aside from straight and cisgender of course, is not age appropriate. The opinions of anti-LGBTQIA2S+ people are often closely tied to religious views or flawed interpretations of the bible. They may be rooted in fear that one’s child or family member will “become LGBT” if they are exposed to sexual and gender diversity. No matter the reason, using religion to discriminate against or condemn a certain group is inherently wrong and extremely harmful. When lawmakers and parents attempt to prevent awareness and acceptance of sexual and gender diversity in schools, they instead jeopardize the mental health of queer youth and the quality of education received by the youth population as a whole.

With the culture of sexism and heteronormativity that is already being ingrained in children from a young age, exposure to queer identities should be of least concern. Movies and TV shows geared towards kids are chalk full of heteronormative standards, which go hand in hand with normalization of sexual assault and gender stereotypes. Just one example of this issue are the many Disney princess movies, which often feature relationships between teenage girls and men in their 30’s. The typical idea of a male-savior is represented in these movies, and often sexual assault is featured in stories that children are exposed to in childhood. Snow White and Aurora are both kissed on the lips by a prince without their consent, which conveniently brings them both back to life. Belle is trapped by the beast, only to fall in love with him, which is a typical example of Stockholm syndrome. Teaching heteronormativity, homophobia, and transphobia to kids in school only serves to reinforce these already prominent messages.

Those in power brand exposure to LGBTQIA2S+ identities in schools as inappropriate, and paint LGBTQIA2S+ adults “groomers,” while tolerating and even embracing gender stereotypes, rape culture, victim blaming, and other outdated ideas. By supporting laws like the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, parents, politicians, and school systems reveal, and more importantly, act upon, their inherent bias towards queer individuals.

To express disapproval of this harmful piece of legislation, students in Florida have fought back, staging walkouts following its passing. So far, students have protested this law in many Florida cities, leading to repercussions at school. Some of the rally leaders have been suspended or otherwise punished for protesting the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and speaking out for the rights of queer youth. At moments, the struggle may seem hopeless, with large corporations and powerful politicians backing queerphobic legislation. More determined voices and amplification of those voices is necessary to cultivate hope for the rights of queer youth in Florida and across the US.

Sources:

• https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/florida-students-stage-school-walkouts-dont-say-gay-bill-rcna18600

• https://daily.jstor.org/how-disney-movies-teach-straightness/

• https://www.npr.org/2022/03/28/1089221657/dont-say-gay-florida-desantis.

• https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/facts-about-lgbtq-youth-suicide/.

• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-lgbtq-bill-controversy-dont-say-gay/.

• https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/595218-amendment-to-dont-say-gay-bill-in-florida-requires-schools-to-out/.

• https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/17/florida-advances-dont-say-gay-bill?gclid=CjwKCAiAsYyRBhACEiwAkJFKonIeXPSgjSX9DlFsW9uEnFMcwk-QrbAsL4vkrUasnFZYNeDHVzzLOxoCNsQQAvD_BwE#.