Florida, Governor DeSantis sued over 'Don't Say Gay' law

Don Tagala | TFC News Tampa, Florida

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZlmVr7GsQp0?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>A group of LGBTQ rights advocates has sued Florida and its governor, Ron DeSantis, to overturn the state&#x27;s so called &#x27;Don&#x27;t Say Gay&#x27; law.The recently-passed law bans classroom teachings on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade.&quot;I feel so sad and it&#x27;s terrible news especially for the LGBT community,&quot; Brandon resident Golez said.The federal lawsuit filed by Equality Florida and Family Equality in Tallahassee on Thursday alleges that the law violates the constitutional rights of students and families, and that it &#x27;is an unlawful attempt to stigmatize, silence, and erase LGBTQ people in Florida&#x27;s public schools.&#x27;The lawsuit reads &#x27;in keeping with this longstanding commitment to &#x27;academic freedom&#x27;... the First Amendment protects students&#x27; &#x27;right to receive information and ideas.&#x27;&quot;That way, we&#x27;re actually putting confusions on the other younger generation like they&#x27;re seeing in publicly the push for acceptance. Last week, we just had our Tampa Pride, the first in this season and now, after a few days, the &#x27;Don&#x27;t Say Gay&#x27; came up,&quot; Golez pointed out.LGBTQ members and allies also believe that after moving steps forward in LGBTQ+ rights such as marriage equality, this controversial new law is moving it backwards.&quot;From the word itself na acceptance, I believe everybody in their early age, mai-intindihan na nila yung gender identity nila. I believe they have that right to be accepted,&quot; Fort Lauderdale resident Anna Aguas argued. (I believe everybody in their early age will understand their gender identity. Aguas added, &quot;maraming mag de-discriminate but life is too short for you not to be happy , for you not to choose who you are.&quot;(Many will discriminate.)The lawsuit asserts that &#x27;the effort to control young minds through state censorship and to demean LGBTQ lives by denying their reality is a grave abuse of power.&#x27;For Tampa Fil-Am Hailey Derigo, the school is supposed to be a safe place for the youth especially those who are still coming to terms with their sexual orientation and gender identity.&quot;To have a safe environment where you can talk about those things, ask questions and feel comfortable around your peers and trusted adults, especially if you don&#x27;t have that sort of safe environment at your home, is so important. And so my personal feelings about this bill are that. It takes away a lot of that safe space,&quot; Derigo said.But Filipina mom Mary Ann Branesky, who has three young kids, is in favor of the new law.&quot;I don&#x27;t teach about the gay and the sex orientation because they’re too young. Maybe when they&#x27;re 13 or 18 years old, then they will find out themselves,&quot; Branesky said.After DeSantis signed the bill, President Joe Biden pledged that his administration will continue to fight for dignity and opportunity for every student and family in Florida and around the US.

A group of LGBTQ rights advocates has sued Florida and Governor Ron DeSantis over the state’s new law that restricts discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.

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Florida, Governor DeSantis sued over 'Don't Say Gay' law

Florida, Governor DeSantis sued over 'Don't Say Gay' law

Don Tagala | TFC News Tampa,

Florida

Published Apr 05, 2022 08:27 PM PHT

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Florida

LGBTQ rights

Governor Ron DeSantis

Don't Say Gay law

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