03-23-2022, 07:12 PM
I haven't been posting much of late, but I was surprised there was no thread on this issue, as it has been national news for some time. I am, of course, speaking about the Parental Rights in Education bill, labeled by opponents as Don't Say Gay. I'm sure some of you remember that my little brother is gay, my favorite uncle is gay, that I supported same sex marriage well over a decade longer than Obama, always supported the right of homosexuals to serve in the military and have zero issue with homosexuals having the same protections, rights and privileges as any other person. I have to say though, I find some of the reaction to this law extremely perplexing. The law, quite literally, states the following;
The measure bans “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten through third grade. It also prohibits such teaching “in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students,”
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/dont-say-gay-bill-florida-senate-passes-controversial-lgbtq-school-mea-rcna19133
Now, I can see taking issue with the vagueness of the underlined, laws should be as specific as possible and that part is obviously open to interpretation. What I cannot understand, at all, is being upset about not teaching children under nine years old about this topic in school. I realize I grew up in the 70's and 80's, but I literally didn't even know what sex was, let alone same sex relationships, until later elementary school (which not inconsequently coincided with a friend of mine having a dad with a huge Playboy collection). I could absolutely see this as discriminatory if hetero sex education was taking place for that age group, but that's not the case. I can also absolutely see a parent wanting to be in control of that particular topic, most especially for young children.
I'm certainly not as liberal as I was in my youth, probably as a result of the extreme politics in this state coupled with my profession and being a well established home owner. But I absolutely cannot understand the extreme reaction this law is getting, or the apparently deliberate misrepresentation of what it entails by many of its detractors.
The measure bans “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity” in kindergarten through third grade. It also prohibits such teaching “in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students,”
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/dont-say-gay-bill-florida-senate-passes-controversial-lgbtq-school-mea-rcna19133
Now, I can see taking issue with the vagueness of the underlined, laws should be as specific as possible and that part is obviously open to interpretation. What I cannot understand, at all, is being upset about not teaching children under nine years old about this topic in school. I realize I grew up in the 70's and 80's, but I literally didn't even know what sex was, let alone same sex relationships, until later elementary school (which not inconsequently coincided with a friend of mine having a dad with a huge Playboy collection). I could absolutely see this as discriminatory if hetero sex education was taking place for that age group, but that's not the case. I can also absolutely see a parent wanting to be in control of that particular topic, most especially for young children.
I'm certainly not as liberal as I was in my youth, probably as a result of the extreme politics in this state coupled with my profession and being a well established home owner. But I absolutely cannot understand the extreme reaction this law is getting, or the apparently deliberate misrepresentation of what it entails by many of its detractors.
