In Florida, the Don't Say Gay law passed
Everyday life for the LGBTQI+ scene in the "Sunshine State" of Florida has become even more homophobic with the latest law.
Strictly speaking, the relevant resolutions will in all likelihood ensure that the visibility of people who feel they belong to the community will continue to dwindle. By the way, behind the Don't Say Gay law is Joe Harding of the Republicans.
What's behind the Don't Say Gay law?
The Don't Say Gay law is actually quickly explained. It is based on the idea that sexual orientations and gender identities should no longer be discussed in schools. Children are thus denied access to information about homosexuality, transsexuality and other topics - at least in school. The new law is expected to play a role primarily in the state's elementary schools from now on. It was adopted with 69 votes. A total of 47 votes against were recorded.
Wherever information about sexual orientation and the like is "not age-appropriate," it is to be banned. Among other things, this is a step backwards because the US government - especially under the current President Biden - is considered very queer-friendly.
Many people now fear that people from the community will be excluded from society or become less visible as a result of the law. And in fact, this is a kind of censorship that simply does not "allow" the people who just do not meet the CIS standard to be heard or seen.
Joe Harding doesn't see homophobia in the law
Joe Harding, who drafted the Don't Say Gay law, doesn't see it as discriminatory. Instead, he says, his goal was to empower parents to set boundaries. After all, parents also finance the schools in question and therefore have a say in what is taught in class and what is not. It is the parents' right to show what content they consider appropriate. But: This is not a law that is made to take action against homosexuals.
This is exactly what many people - queer or not - find difficult to believe. After all, there is really no sensible reason to withhold from young people that there is more than one "right" kind of sexual orientation and that it is perfectly okay to stand by oneself. If this important message can no longer be spread in the classroom, it is to be hoped that many parents will now replace this gap in the curriculum and raise their children to be tolerant people.
How openly can queers live in the U.S.?
The U.S., the land of opportunity, is home to many queer people. In 2016, about 0.6 percent of adults here identified as transgender. By now, the number of people coming out to themselves has likely increased even more. However, trans people in particular continue to face discrimination in America.
Accordingly, Florida is(unfortunately) not an "exceptional state". On the contrary. Meanwhile, there are many states that have either already passed similar laws or plan to do just that in the future. Nevertheless, there also remains a little hope that under Biden many things will change again for the better for queers. He is much more open towards the LGBTQI+ community than his predecessor was.