And not only will schools have to inform parents, they have to do so within six weeks of learning the student is any sexual orientation other than straight. Joe Harding, the sponsor of the legislation, seeks to require schools to inform parents of their child’s sexual orientation. In an amendment filed to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay Bill,” Rep.
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Democrats and LGBTQIA supporters, who have derisively dubbed it the "Don't Say Gay" bill, say the law would stigmatize marginalized students and lead to bullying and attacks. (An earlier version of the bill went even further, requiring principals to tell parents if a student came out as other than straight. The bill's supporters say it strengthens parental rights by preventing teachers and school staffers from withholding information about gender issues from parents.
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It is scheduled to go into effect on July 1. The measure, which would give parents the right to sue school districts, awaits Gov. It also prohibits lessons in other grades unless they are "age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate." That bill, titled Parental Rights in Education, states that lessons about sexual orientation are banned outright in kindergarten through third grade. And with the Florida Senate's recent passage of a bill that would restrict those discussions in the state's public schools, the combat is certain to intensify elsewhere. Now activists have a new target: classroom discussions about sexual orientation.
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In both areas, Republican lawmakers joined the crusade by passing laws giving parents greater power over what goes on in local schools. A conservative movement to restrict objectionable curricula and educational materials began about a year ago, when groups began targeting "critical race theory." They then expanded their aim to objectionable books in school libraries.