Life

Joe Biden tells LGBTQ+ community they “are loved” as Florida advances “hateful” bill

By Conor Clark

9th February 2022

Official White House Photo by David Lienemann

Joe Biden has promised to support the LGBTQ+ community as Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill makes its way through state legislature.

The bill, which is part of a Parental Rights in Education proposal, is being sponsored by Republican State Senator Dennis Baxley.

LGBTQ+ activists are fearful that if Senate Bill 1834 is signed into law, it could have the power to totally limit any discussions or lessons on identity, the community’s history and the oppression it has faced.

On 8 February, The White House tweeted that “conservative politicians in Florida advanced legislation designed to attack LGBTQI+ kids.”

It added: “Instead of making growing up harder for young people, @POTUS is focused on keeping schools open and supporting students’ mental health.”

Responding to the tweet, President Biden condemned the “hateful bill” and promised to “fight” for the LGBTQ+ community during his time in office in a rare intervention from America’s head of state.

“I want every member of the LGBTQI+ community — especially the kids who will be impacted by this hateful bill — to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are,” he explained. “I have your back, and my Administration will continue to fight for the protections and safety you deserve.”

The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee in Florida on the day of the President’s tweet.

It states that schools “may not encourage discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”

It has sparked protests across the state, with around 100 people taking to the streets on 1 February to challenge the bill.

“It’s a radical roll back of the calendar,” Scott Galvin, the Executive Director of Safe Schools South Florida, told CBS Miami.

“It will stop teachers and schools from talking to kids about LGBTQ issues and it will stop them from talking about gay issues among themselves,” he added.

Christian Pushaw, press secretary to the state’s governor Ron DeSantis, told Fox News that the politician will only state whether or not he will sign the bill once he reviews it in its final form.

“There is nothing in this bill preventing anyone from ‘saying gay’,” he said to the outlet. “It’s about age-appropriate education on gender and sexual orientation.”