“This really isn’t a complicated thing,” said board member Esther Byrd.
But LGBTQ+ advocates say the rule is an “assault on freedom.”
“Free states do not wage war on LGBTQ+ people to score cheap political points for a man desperate to be president,” said Joe Saunders, senior political director for Equality Florida.
“This policy will escalate the government censorship that is sweeping our state, exacerbate our educator exodus, drive hardworking families from Florida, and further stigmatize and isolate a population of young people who need our support now more than ever.”
The move is the latest in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attack on what he calls “woke gender ideology.” During this year’s session, the Florida Legislature is considering bills that would prohibit children from attending drag shows , require people to use the bathroom that corresponds to their sex at birth, and would ban gender-affirming care for minors. ( Florida bans teaching of gender identity ).
Education officials cast rule as clarification
The expansion of the rule, which originally affected grades kindergarten through third grade, did not need to be approved by the Legislature.
In March, Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said the rule was the board’s attempt to clarify what is “age appropriate,” which caused confusion among educators and led to the removal of books and teacher resignations across the state.
On Wednesday, Diaz reiterated that this rule does not ban books or “other” students.
“They’re not being shunned,” Diaz said.
It’s unclear what impact the rule will have on a pair of bills that seek to ban classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender ideology.
or example, SB 1320 , sponsored by Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, only restricts instruction until ninth grade.
While the rule could make that section of the law moot, the proposals also restrict how students can identify themselves at school.
Opponents, supporters face off over rule
During public comment, members of the conservative parental rights group Moms for Liberty from Collier, Leon and Pinellas counties came out in force in support of the rule expansion on Wednesday morning and said the rule wouldn’t target specific groups of people but would instead strengthen the relationship between children and their parents.
“We should focus on educating, not indoctrinating,” said Yvette Benarroch, head of the Moms for Liberty chapter in Collier County.
Most of public comment was dominated by opponents to the bill, who stressed the vagueness of the wording of the rule and said they feared it would harm LGBTQ+ students and teachers.( Florida bans teaching of gender identity ).
But dozens of Floridians, many of them wearing Moms for Liberty T-shirts, shared support during the meeting’s public-comment period, praising it as a common-sense measure that will allow parents to better shape their child’s upbringing when it comes to sensitive societal and cultural issues.
“These decisions should be left at home for parents to decide when and if their children are exposed to this material,” said Ryan Kennedy of the education advocacy group, Florida Citizens Alliance.
The rule will not require legislative approval. The Republican-dominated state legislature is separately considering a bill that would have extended the ban on gender identity and sexual orientation lessons in a narrower way — through eighth grade.
