Dozens rallied in Pride Park in Miami Beach Sunday to protest the Parental Rights in Education bill recently passed by the Florida Legislature, a bill critics call the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.
City leaders and students joined to take a stand against something they say would discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community.
“You’ve got to respond to outrageous and contentious behavior without rage and contempt,” Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said. “And I think we’re going to do that today.”
“This is 2022 and we should be well past the idea that we need to marginalize people, young people, because who they are,” Gelber said. “That’s just wrong.”
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The bill passed through the legislature last week and it’s been getting national attention because it would prevent teachers from instructing early grades on LGBTQ+ issues.
“Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate,” the bill says.
Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law.
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Students say this would hurt their younger peers.
“Very scared and concerned, you know,” one student said. “It’s really upsetting to know that our lawmakers and stuff like that don’t even support the communities that make up so many cities in the state. We’re everywhere.”
Those in favor of the bill argue parents should be broaching these subjects with children, not educators.
"If you read the bill, it is protecting parent's rights and we're talking about kids in kindergarten through third grade. they shouldn't be talking about those topics. That's all it is," state senator Manny Diaz said earlier this week.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber says they plan on fighting this with legal action down the road, if they need to.
