The Florida Department of Education on Wednesday approved a ban on classroom instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity across all grades.
Backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the measure expands on the current prohibition for kids in kindergarten through the third grade.
DeSantis, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential candidate, has argued that the topics are not appropriate for educational settings and that parents should determine when and if they are introduced to their children.
Critics, who dubbed the initial ban the “Don’t Say Gay” law, counter that it foments prejudice against the LGBTQ community.
The rule will go into effect after a notice period of roughly one month.
The prior ban drew applause from parents who bristled at what they deemed to be the abrupt infusion of sexual politics into public school classrooms, with many asserting that teachers were devoting inordinate time and resources to them.
The issue roiled school board meetings in Florida and beyond, where some parents complained about the circulation of age-inappropriate and sometimes sexually explicit materials in their kids’ classrooms.
Others said that teachers and administrators were encouraging children to conceal their sexual orientation and gender choices from their parents and guardians.
But the culture war controversy also drew fierce criticism from those who argued that it contributed to the alienation of an already marginalized community and foisted conservative sexual viewpoints on teachers and students.
“Make no mistake, this is part of a disturbing and dangerous trend that we’re seeing across the country of legislation that are anti-LGBTQI+, anti-trans in a way we have not seen in some time,” White House Press Secretary Jean-Pierre said as the initial bill advanced last year.
DeSantis has not commented on the ban and has previously directed questions to Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr.
Diaz Jr. said it was designed to clarify confusion around the existing law and reinforce that teachers should not deviate from existing curriculums.
“We’re not removing anything here,” Diaz Jr. said on Wednesday. “All we are doing is we are setting the expectations so our teachers are clear: that they are to teach to the standards.”
The legislation would later spark the ongoing feud between DeSantis and Disney, Florida’s largest employer. The company publicly blasted the law and said it would seek its repeal.
“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law,” the company said in a statement after initially staying mum on the controversy.
That collision eventually led to DeSantis expelling members of a board that controls Disney’s special district and stocking it with his allies.