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An expansion on what critics call the Don’t Say Gay bill was heard in the Florida Senate today. However, a new provision to the bill garnered strong criticism from Democratic senators.
The bill seeks to censor instruction on gender identity up to 8th grade. However, a new provision requires that schools remove any material whenever any member of the public objects to it.
The bill is sponsored by Republican senator Clay Yarborough.
“The bill increases the transparency of library and classroom materials, and helps parents be better informed about those materials,” Yarborough said.
That drew criticism from Democratic senators, including Tina Scott Polsky.
“Why don’t we trust our teachers? Why don’t we trust our school librarians? Why don’t we trust the people we each elected to our school boards? Some Joe Shmoe comes in off the street and says ‘I don’t like this book about Roberto Clemente, take it off’ and that’s it? That’s all it takes?”
Polsky and other Democratic senators proposed amendments, including one that would have required those who object to materials to be parents of children in the school system. None of the amendments passed.
