Vox Sentences - What "Don't Say Gay" really means

“Don’t Say Gay” bill stirs up controversy in Florida and beyond; a bipartisan group of lawmakers pushes for more weapons to aid Ukraine.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

Florida's “Don't Say Gay” awaits Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature

Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

• Florida’s the latest battleground in the national fight over what children are learning in schools. On March 8, state lawmakers passed what opponents call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill; it now awaits Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature. [People / Virginia Chamlee]
• While the legislation, officially called the “Parental Rights in Education” bill, doesn’t explicitly ban the use of the word “gay,” it prohibits classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten up to the third grade. Parents can sue teachers or schools who violate the law. [The Week / Grayson Quay]
• The bill also forbids instruction deemed “not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards,” language LGBTQ advocates worry could lead to broader discrimination against gay students. [CNN / Zachary B. Wolf]
• After weeks of pressure from employees and consumers, Disney — which employs over 70,000 people in the state and had donated to many of the bill’s proponents — announced Friday it’s pausing all contributions to Florida politicians and bolstering support for LBGTQ advocacy in other states. [Washington Post / Kelsey Ables]
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, running for re-election and a potential candidate for the 2024 presidential election, said that “policies will be based on the best interest of Florida citizens, not the musing of woke corporations.” [Guardian / Victoria Bekiempis]
• The bill likely represents a key part of the GOP’s Republican strategy ahead of this year’s midterm elections: creating furor over cultural issues to lure suburban voters who left the party during the Trump era back. [Politico/ Gary Fineout and Andrew Atterbury]

Bipartisan support grows for sending weapons to Ukraine

• President Joe Biden faces pressure from a bipartisan group of lawmakers to send more weapons — and if possible, aircraft — to Ukraine as it defends itself from Russian invasion. [Washington Post / Amy B Wang]
• On Sunday, the 58 members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus urged Biden to help Ukraine by providing Stinger missiles, air-defense systems, and fighter jets. [CBS / Melissa Quinn]
• The Biden Administration so far has been reluctant to send planes out of concern the move would further escalate tensions with Moscow. Last week, the Pentagon rejected a Polish plan to transport Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets, planes Ukrainian pilots are familiar with, to Ukraine through a US base in Germany. [CNN / Veronica Stracqualursi]
• But on Saturday, the White House did approve new aid — $200 million for immediate military assistance to Ukraine, including “anti-armor, anti-aircraft systems, and small arms in support of Ukraine’s front-line defenders,” according to a Biden administration official. [Reuters / Andrea Shalal and Steve Holland]
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to appeal for additional help to stop the Russian bombardment of Ukrainian cities in a virtual address to Congress on Wednesday. [NBC/ Elizabeth Chuck]

Ginni Thomas, the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, said she attended the “Stop the Steal” rally on January 6; however, she says she didn’t help plan it. [Washington Free Beacon]

• The US pays $2 million per month to protect former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a fellow former top Trump aide from what the State Department calls “serious and credible” dangers from Iran. [Associated Press / Matthew Lee]
• Squatters are occupying a London mansion thought to be owned by Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch sanctioned by the British government. [CNBC / Karen Gilchrist]
• The White House is considering sending President Biden to Europe to rally allies amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [CNN / Kaitlan Collins, Kevin Liptak, and Kate Sullivan]

People in support of the bill always ask, “Why do these subjects need to be taught in schools?” To them I would say that if we understand ourselves, and those around us understand us, so many lives will be saved.”

[Will Larkins, a queer activist on the importance LGBTQ education in schools / New York Times]

Sean Illing talks with comedian David Cross about the relationship between comedy and politics, whether comedy audiences are different than they used to be, and what social media has done to us. [Spotify]

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