Popular Information - UPDATE: Say gay, Florida
For two years, Popular Information has documented the far-reaching impact of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law. We obtained public records that revealed, for the first time, that the law was being used to justify the removal of books with LGBTQ characters across the state. We interviewed and exposed the right-wing activists behind the book bans. We broke the news that a Florida teacher was under state investigation for showing a Disney movie to her class that had an LGBTQ character. Along the way, our reporting came under attack by the DeSantis administration. Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz called this newsletter "fake news" and claimed we were "too lazy" to read Florida law. We kept on reporting. As you'll learn about in detail below, the State of Florida has just agreed to dramatically limit the scope of the law. LGBTQ rights groups are calling it a "landmark achievement." Popular Information doesn't just report the news; we help inspire change. You can support this work by upgrading to a paid subscription. This week, the State of Florida agreed to settle a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Parental Rights in Education Act, better known as the "Don't Say Gay" law. The bill's text prohibited "classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity" through the third grade. The prohibition was later expanded to all grade levels. With the explicit and tacit encouragement of the Florida Department of Education, the law was broadly interpreted to mandate the banning of library books with LGBTQ characters, the cancellation of Pride Month, and the removal of rainbow flags. It also created confusion about whether it was permissible to discuss LGBTQ people in any context in Florida classrooms. The settlement was a resounding victory for the parents and LGBTQ advocacy groups who filed the lawsuit. It dramatically limits the law's application to a narrow set of circumstances that seldom occur in K-12 public schools. Since the law's passage in 2022, Popular Information has documented how it has been broadly applied in many school districts to effectively erase LGBTQ people, particularly through the removal of books with LGBTQ characters or themes. In a December 2022 interview, Vicki Baggett — a high school teacher in Escambia County, Florida, who has challenged hundreds of books — explained why she filed a complaint about the book And Tango Makes Three, a book about two male penguins who raise an adopted chick in the Central Park Zoo. "I think what would happen is a second grader would read this book, and that idea would pop into the second grader's mind… that these are two people of the same sex that love each other," Baggett explained. Baggett's challenges of And Tango Makes Three and numerous other books were successful. “The fascination is still on those two male penguins," Escambia County School Board member David Williams said in February 2023. "So I’ll be voting to remove the book from our libraries.” Last September, librarians in public schools in Charlotte County, Florida, were instructed by the school district superintendent to remove all books with LGBTQ characters or themes from school and classroom libraries. According to notes about a conversation between library staff and the superintendent, librarians were told, "Books with LGBTQ+ characters are not to be included in classroom libraries or school library media centers." This included any book with "two mothers" or "a gay best friend." According to the summary of the guidance obtained by Popular Information, these rules applied to books owned by the students and brought into school for silent reading. (After publication, Charlotte County told Popular Information that the prohibition only applied to elementary and middle schools.) Overall, Popular Information documented 16 Florida counties where books with LGBTQ characters were removed from libraries due to the Don't Say Gay law. Broward County Schools, for example, banned A Day with Marlon Bundo, a fictional story about former Vice President Mike Pence’s family bunny. In the story, Marlon Bundo falls in love with another bunny named Wesley, and the two decide to get married. But when the “Stink Bug In Charge” declares that the pair can’t get married because “Boy Bunnies Don’t Marry Boy Bunnies,” the animals in the garden work together to stop the Stink Bug. The book ends with the message, “Love is Forever.” While the law does not explicitly mention library books, the Florida Department of Education encouraged schools and librarians to interpret it broadly. A January 2023 training required for all Florida school media specialists emphasized that there was "some overlap between the selection criteria for instructional and library materials." The next slide says that library books and instructional materials cannot include "unsolicited theories that may lead to student indoctrination." A subsequent slide lists "unsolicited theories that may lead to student indoctrination." That list, citing the Parental Rights in Education Act, states that information about "sexual orientation or gender identity" is prohibited for K-3 students.The media specialists were encouraged to "err on the side of caution" and warned that making books prohibited by Florida law available to students could subject them to third-degree felony charges. Free speech advocacy groups, including the Florida Freedom to Read Project, PEN America, and the National Coalition Against Censorship, repeatedly asked Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz to tell schools that the law did not apply to library books. Their public and private pleas were repeatedly ignored. On Monday, everything changed. Florida agreed to a settlement that establishes:
The only aspect of the law that remains is a prohibition on classroom instruction about "sexual orientation" and "gender identity." Per the terms of the settlement, an example of this would be "teaching an overview of modern gender theory." This is not something that happens very often, if at all, in K-12 education. Critically, the Florida Department of Education is required to distribute this new guidance to every school district in Florida to ensure they understand the limits of the law. Equality Florida, which was part of the lawsuit, called the settlement "a landmark achievement in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Florida." The Florida Freedom to Read Project told Popular Information it was "thankful that the Florida Department of Education will finally provide school districts with the necessary guidance to ensure all students have the opportunity to see their lives and families reflected in the books they read." Popular Information contacted the 16 school districts that had previously removed books based on the Don't Say Gay law and asked if they were returning them to the shelves. A spokesperson for Alachua County Public Schools said the district was "thrilled" with the settlement and is in the process of making sure it is in compliance. The other districts said they were awaiting formal guidance from the state or did not respond. Meanwhile, Governor Ron DeSantis (R), who championed the Don't Say Gay law, tried to spin the settlement as a victory for his agenda. A statement released by DeSantis claimed that "carrying water for the activists, the media wrote countless stories lying about the intent, design, and application of the law." The settlement, DeSantis claims, is evidence that he "stood up to activists and extremists who mobilized to smear and stop the Parental Rights in Education Act." |
Older messages
New data explodes myth of crime wave fueled by migrants
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Republican politicians and sympathetic media outlets are claiming that America is in the midst of a violent "crime wave," driven in part by undocumented immigrants. New data, however,
Trump's $91.6 million question
Monday, March 11, 2024
New York juries have found, by a preponderance of the evidence, that former President Donald Trump sexually assaulted writer E. Jean Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-90s and then
How millions in corporate cash could help a radical conspiracy theorist become governor
Thursday, March 7, 2024
On Tuesday, Mark Robinson (R) won the Republican nomination for Governor of North Carolina. Robinson, currently North Carolina's lieutenant governor, is one of the most radical gubernatorial
Did Biden commit treason? Dissecting Elon Musk's public meltdown
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
On Tuesday, billionaire Elon Musk told his 175 million followers on X that President Biden had committed "treason" by "secretly" flying "320000 illegal immigrants" from
Corporate-backed Congressman pushes anti-Semitic attack against journalist
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
On Sunday, first-term Congressman Mike Collins (R-GA) participated in a vehemently anti-Semitic attack against a Washington Post journalist on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. After
You Might Also Like
Why is everyone so afraid to talk about AIPAC?
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Most major news outlets treat AIPAC as a taboo subject — the organization whose name cannot be spoken. Over the past week, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have poured into the streets night after
E Ink's 'Wizard of Oz' moment: Behind the digital notepad's colorful transition
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Boeing's Starliner makes it back to Earth | Upcoming tech events in the PNW ADVERTISEMENT GeekWire SPONSOR MESSAGE: Join RSM US LLP, in partnership with GeekWire in San Francisco for an exclusive
Telegram’s Durov Strikes Back | SEC May Derail FTX Repayment Plan
Saturday, September 7, 2024
The executive issued his first public statement since he was detained. ADVERTISEMENT Forbes START INVESTING • Newsletters • MyForbes Nina Bambysheva Staff Writer, Forbes Money & Markets Follow me
Why Ireland isn't toasting VP Harris' ties
Saturday, September 7, 2024
+ that new football helmet accessory
Middle Two-Shot
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Today, enjoy our recent video and audio picks Middle Two-Shot By Kaamya Sharma • 7 Sept 2024 View in browser View in browser The full Browser recommends five articles, a video and a podcast daily.
The Home Stretch
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Columns and commentary on news, politics, business, and technology from the Intelligencer team. Intelligencer Weekend Reader Required Reading for Political Compulsives 1. Are Republicans Stuck With
7 pajamas we love
Saturday, September 7, 2024
We won't judge if you wear them all day View in browser The Recommendation Oh, so comfy A person wearing a navy blue pajama set on their couch, petting a black dog. Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald A
Last Chance To Join Forbes For Just $49.99!
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Subscribe for less than $1/week with this special membership offer. Subscribe for less than $1/week with this special membership offer. Ends Soon: Less Than $1/Week This is your last chance to take
☕ A long way from Barney
Saturday, September 7, 2024
How Selena Gomez became a billionaire... September 07, 2024 View Online | Sign Up | Shop Morning Brew PRESENTED BY Pendulum Good morning. An American man hasn't played in a Grand Slam final in 15
YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: A Dam Good Idea
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Plus, AI gets reined in, Mississippi thinks of the children, and electric school buses power on. YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: A Dam Good Idea By Jean Yi • 7 Sept 2024 View in browser View in browser A fly