Andy Cohen rails against Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill: 'This is one big dog whistle'
Andy Cohen is watching what's happening in Florida, and he's disturbed.
The Watch What Happens Live host ended his latest episode by addressing the "personally disturbing" news that the Florida Senate passed a controversial bill banning teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity with young kids.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Cohen added that "as a gay parent, I'm concerned" about whether the "deliberately vague" language in the "hateful" bill leaves room for it to be interpreted to mean his son wouldn't be allowed to talk with his teacher about "his gay dad." He also slammed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) press secretary for claiming that anyone who opposes the bill is "probably a groomer." Cohen shot back, "You can't groom someone to be gay. You're born gay."
Cohen concluded his passionate rant by saying, "I thought the whole point of sending our kids to school was to educate them and prepare them for the real world. Well, newsflash: the real world has gay people in it. It has people of all different gender identities. You can draft all the homophobic and transphobic bills you want. You're not going to erase us. I just wonder how many children and families need to suffer before our politicians figure that out."
Actress Kate McKinnon, who is gay, previously spoke out against the law on Saturday Night Live, joking, "If the '90s were right and gay means bad, then this is the gayest law I have ever seen." Meanwhile, Disney CEO Bob Chapek has been resisting calls to condemn the bill, claiming in a memo to employees that doing so would be "counterproductive."
-
Political cartoons for February 16Cartoons Monday’s political cartoons include President's Day, a valentine from the Epstein files, and more
-
Regent Hong Kong: a tranquil haven with a prime waterfront spotThe Week Recommends The trendy hotel recently underwent an extensive two-year revamp
-
The problem with diagnosing profound autismThe Explainer Experts are reconsidering the idea of autism as a spectrum, which could impact diagnoses and policy making for the condition
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
-
US to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train armySpeed Read Trump has accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks
-
Grand jury rejects charging 6 Democrats for ‘orders’ videoSpeed Read The jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers for a video in which they urged military members to resist illegal orders
