Vomit inducing and blood boiling legislation introduced by leaders from Florida and Texas
Florida's "Don't Say Gay" Bill
What happened
A bill that would ban discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida schools (nicknamed the "Don't Say Gay" bill) was advanced by Florida State Republicans on Tuesday.
Supporters of the bill argued that the legislation would encourage parents to take an active role in discussions and education regarding sexual orientation and gender identity with their children, but many critics believe that the impacts of the bill could be detrimental to 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and their peers.
The rhetoric of Republican Representatives surrounding how Bill 1557 invokes age-old concerns about "indoctrination" and the "gay agenda", failing to recognize the ways in which this bill will indoctrinate today's students into archaic ideas that straight and cisgender is the only "correct" identity - which we obviously know to be untrue.
Why it matters: Florida
The bill poses serious concerns for the wellbeing of children in Florida and sets a dangerous precedent.
The most glaring concern is, of course, the potential for students to lose all access to credible information about sexuality and gender diversity.
This is integral information that can build foundational vocabulary which helps kids who are questioning explore their identities, as well as creating space for cis- and straight- kids to build empathy and allyship for their 2SLGBTQIA+ peers.
Discussing diverse sexual and gender identities is an integral facet of creating safer spaces and, indeed, a safer world, for queer people.
Why it matters
Further, banning discussions of sexual and gender identities poses serious safety concerns for kids who identify as non-straight or non-cis.
The Trevor Project reported that in 2021, 42% of LGBTQIA+ youth and over half of transgender and nonbinary youth seriously considered suicide. More than this, BIPOC LGBTQIA+ youth made up the highest portion of those who attempted suicide in the past year compared to white folks.
Jeanine Hoff, a Florida-based crisis response team member for youth at risk of self-harm or suicide, says that schools is an important safe space for many of the youth assessed by the response team that identify as LGBTQIA+, gender nonbinary or non-conforming . For many of these youth, due to lack of support and safety in their home environments schools are a critical space to recieve support, education and acceptance.
The reality is legislation like this pretend to care about 'protecting children' but will inevitably result in emotional and physical harm and possibly death.
“The only people pushing a ‘gender ideology’ onto kids are straight, cisgender parents who have put their commitment to upholding the gender binary above their responsibility to love their children authentically.”
Anti Trans Agenda in Texas
Worth noting
In equally disgusting and infuriating news, leaders in Texas are creating a type of vigilante scheme that requires everyone to report on transgender youth—or face prosecution. Yeah, we're screaming, too.
In the span of just four days, the Attorney General and Govenor in Texas came together in a supervillain duo even Marvel comics creators couldn't imagine and outlawed gender-affirming health care for trans minors, ordering everyone to report this care to the state or face criminal prosecution.
This is in direct opposition to what experts at American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Pediatric say, which is that they support gender-affirming treatment for trans youth. Extensive research shows that such health care dramatically improves minors’ mental health and overall well-being.
We also feel like it is important to note how quickly politicians can change their tune when it benefits their agenda.
Governor Abbott spent months talking about how parents should have absolute rights to control their children, and then when it was convenient for his agenda, he has decided to strip parents of their right to consent to medical treatments - making it illegal to have gender affirming surgery happen and illegal for parents to love and support whoever their child authentically is.
Yeah, that's right, Abbot has declared it child abuse for parents to allow their children to get gender affirming treatment. Yeah, those same parents who he previously said should have absolute rights over their kids.
Abbott is calling on public vigilantes to file child abuse complaints against these dangerous parents.
Anti-2SLGBTQQIA Agenda Knows No Borders
Why it matters to Canadians
We're sure many people will read this news about what is going on in Florida (and Texas, more on that in a second) and say what really should be our Canadian motto "well, thank god we're not as bad as America."
It's important to remember that Canada just banned conversion therapy. Also, just a few years ago in Ontario, our premier wanted to scrap our newly updated sex-ed curriculum (that Kathleen Wynne brought in) in favour of one from the 90s that deemphasized 2SLGBTQQIA info. Because of public pushback, the current sex-ed curriculum is a compromise between Doug Ford's version of the 'don't say gay' legislation and what the people in favour of a comprehensive and inclusive sex-ed curriculum advocated for.
This is all to say that this isn't an "well of course, it's America" moment. The reality is, all it takes is a party that doesn't believe in upholding *all* of our human rights and a lack of public solidarity and pushback to end up in situations like what is happening in Texas and Florida.
Now what
We cannot pretend that issues like this bill are exclusive to the United States. The topics of sexual orientation and gender identity are still hotly debated in Provincial legislatures across the country, and the inclusion of lessons about sexual and gender identities in sex-ed curriculums remain major points of political contention.
Those of us who have the privilege of safe spaces and platforms need to keep the conversation going for the sake of those who can't. We can't pick and choose whose human rights should be respected. In the words of MLK Jr, Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
“If the school district cannot talk about gender identity and sexual orientation, it gives a message to every student in that school system that it is wrong and shameful.”
Sources: USA Today, Toronto Star, @prestomanifest0, The Florida-Times Union, Slate, NBC News
