Florida's parental rights in education law — referred to by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill — that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last month is already inspiring imitators in red states across the country, NPR reported Sunday.
The law bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade and requires that parents be informed of important changes to students' "services and monitoring."
Bills with similar language have reportedly been proposed in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, South Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Ohio. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said a Florida-style education bill will be a top priority in the next legislative session.
Arjee Restar, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington, told NPR the bills represent "an overt form of structural transphobia and homophobia."
A Politico/Morning Consult poll conducted last month found that majorities of Americans supported "[b]anning the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade" and "[l]imiting lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity after third grade to 'age appropriate' discussions."
The poll surveyed 2,005 registered voters between March 11 and March 14 and has an error margin of 2 percent.