Rep. Joe Harding's Parental Rights in Education Bill, which has been rebranded by Democrats as the, "Don't Say Gay," bill, has come under heavy scrutiny despite passing the Florida House. State Senator Shevrin Jones (D-35) even referred to the legislation as a Republican, "social experiment."
Senator Jones this session was one of the most vocal lawmakers in opposition to the Parental Rights in Education Bill, or HB 1557. The bill intends to censor talks about homosexuality between teachers and children from Kindergarten through the 3rd grade.
After enduring many amendments and revisions that were rejected by the Republican-led legislature, progressive lawmakers like Jones are still not content with the bill as it makes its way over to the Florida Senate. The South Florida Senator fired off a Tweet about the bill today.
Senator Jones credits the bill's creation as an effort to, "censor teachers, and make LGBTQ youth feel as if something is wrong with them for living their truth." Jones also added that the bill is a “social experiment that Republicans are conducting."
It was made much CLEARER today that Florida’s #DontSayGay bill was created to censor teachers, and make LGBTQ youth feel as if something is wrong with them for living their truth. I am saddened by the “social experiment” that Republicans are conducting. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
— Shevrin “Shev” Jones (@ShevrinJones) February 28, 2022
The bill has also gained national attention, especially after US President Joe Biden (D) criticized the legislation, making another example out of Florida for other red states.
Last legislative session, Florida Republicans truly pushed the envelope with their majority in the legislature. In 2021 Florida saw Critical Race Theory bans in public schools, transgenders banned from female athletics, and voter integrity reform to a scale never seen before.
Do not expect to see Governor DeSantis (R-FL) and Florida Republicans to slow down anytime soon, as talks of running for president one day slowly become more of a reality for the governor.
