Tallahassee Democrat education reporter Ana Gona-Lessan has adopted the “Don’t Say Gay” moniker when referencing the Parental Rights in Education bill which is working its way through the Florida Legislature.
On Monday, reporting on the Leon County School Board agenda review meeting, Goni-Lessan stated, “This LGBTQ+ guide is for district employees who might find themselves in conversations about gender identity with students…which is a huge topic this legislative session. If the Don’t Say Gay bill passes, it will have a direct effect on this guide.”
In addition, the Tallahassee Democrat featured an article on the front page of their Monday print edition about the bill – which Goni-Lessan co-wrote – with the “Don’t Say Gay” label in the title.
A search of the article reveals the legislation is never referred to as the Parental Rights in Education bill – which is the formal name of the bill.
The “Don’t Say Gay” moniker has been adopted by progressive politicians and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups based on a provision in the bill that prohibits a school district from encouraging classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels.
However, the bill addresses a number of issues related to parental rights.
For example, the bill provides additional requirements for school districts to notify parents if there is a change in their student’s services or monitoring in relation to their student’s mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being.
In addition, the bill requires school districts to adopt procedures that reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children. The procedures must require school district personnel to encourage a student to discuss issues relating to his or her well-being with his or her parent, or to seek permission to discuss or facilitate discussion of the issue with the parent.
The bill – in part – attempts to address school policies related to parental rights and student confidentiality which have been implemented inconsistently by school boards in Florida.
However, opponents of the bill seem to be only focused on their “Don’t Say Gay” characterization of the bill.
For example, Florida Representative Anna Eskamani, who has been a frequent critic of the Parental Rights in Education bill, has refused to answer questions about the parental rights aspect of the proposed legislation.
Tallahassee Democrat Reporter Adopts “Don’t Say Gay” Description of Parental Rights in Education Bill added by Steve Stewart on
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Worked at the Fake Newsocrat when she interned there.
She gives T-Flub competition for “Worst Scribbler.”
Best to keep the Excedrin nearby if you really want to read her woke drivel.
Someone should start a prediction contest:
“How much longer before the Fake Newsocrat is finally flushed down the toilet for good?”
Hmmm, “the science”. Stuff does happen, but it is much more rare than the LGBTQIP agitators claim, and does not, the best I can find, create the kinds of “dysphoria” they claim:
Aneuploidy (wrong number of X & Y: Turner’s syndrome, Klinefelter’s syndrome…), damage to the teeny tiny (less than 830 base-pairs) stretch near one end of Y DNA that controls the sex of the baby/child/person, insufficiency or mistiming of typical hormone level at crucial point in gestation or at puberty.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3690661/
https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/sry/
But the “gender critical theory” lobbying is different. I know of Hollyweird people actively pushing it since at least the 1990s. One was an OK guy, went only a little over the line from toleration to demand for approval. But these last 10 years so many have gone way over the authoritarian creepy line.
Since it took five author to concoct this wonderful fable of small brave tomboy.
One can surmise that authors has been fully innoculated per Party Directive.
Is good to distract hungry peoples from empty shelves in store for grocery.
Perhaps next story should be about heroic child who like eat bug.
@ Edward Lyle: The Loudoun Co School Board (epicenter of this depravity) was served a lawsuit by a line of students carrying 1′ ft thick documents during their recent public hearing.
Exactly what Edward Lyle says!
@ Charley… the Bill should simply be referred to as it’s titled, “Parental Rights in Education bill”
If the words don’t matter, then tell the Democrat Rag and Ana to refer to it as the “Protect Our Children From Perverts in the Classroom” bill
… let me know how that works out for ya
Kids are not thinking about Sex or if they are meant to be the opposite Sex, they just AREN’T. The only time they are is when someone actually starts talking to them about it. Let Kids be Kids. Biology is taught in High School and NOT the Third Grade for a reason. To Parents of small Children, do you want a complete Stranger, someone you do not know, telling your little Boy that He is really a Girl and that he should embrace it? Young Kids are very Curious and Impressionable and are easy Prey, they want to please their Elders and the Teachers and Staff are someone they trust. How well do you really know your Kids Teachers? There full Names? where they Live? what kind of Vehicle they Drive? When was the last time you actually had a Conversation with your Kids Teacher that lasted more than 15 Minutes? What is the name of the Vice Principle, the Schools Counselor, did you even KNOW the School HAD a Counselor? These Strangers are raising your Kids 5 Days a week, what do you really know about them, what they are teaching your Kid?
Strictly out of curiosity here….what should the bill be referred to as then?
I don’t either side has a problem with the intent of the verbiage.
It seems to me like “Don’t say gay” is exactly the point of the bill….
I guess I may be naive, but I don’t see issue with the paper saying it is what it is….I guess I’m asking all sides here…
but, to proponent (those in favor) of the bill…is that not what you want it to be? That LGBTQ not be discussed in schools…aka “Don’t say gay”?…
I feel like this is just being petty for the sake of being petty…
Its like the school board and their minions in the press are waging war on normal people. What a bunch of depraved miscreants.
Unless you plan to wrap fish or line the bird cage, why are you wasting your money on The Democrat?
Oh well so the leftists have “Don’t Say Gay”
I’ll see your “Don’t Say Gay” and raise you a “Go Brandon” for the midterms.
Florida’s school children are graduating without being able to read and write. Everyone, from the parents who want to exert control over what is taught to the Governor, should concern themselves with that problem. Get back to the fundamentals and quit attacking windmills.
Yo Ana… there is no such thing as a transgender anything or a non-binary human. Start dealing with the “science” young lady. These individuals suffer with a medical, psychological, and social disorder – known to the scientific world – as Gender Dysphoria. I get that you leftists work in the world of Alinsky Semantics… and granted, it has been a reasonably successful tact thus far. However, changing words and shifting meanings does not, and never will, change the reality.
This morally bankrupt agenda does not belong in K-12 education… and more and more Informed and Educated Americans – specifically parents – are waking up to the dangers of the warped alt-left agenda. If you want to engage in recruitment to your mentally-Challenged club, wait until the person is our of K-12 and an adult… leave our children alone. You and your ilk are bordering on Child Abuse and Endangerment, and are fast on your way to “jumping the shark”.
My hope is soon we will see the prosecution of these warped School Board members, Superintendents, and teachers who foist this depravity on our children. Don’t laugh… the difference between a conspiracy and reality is about 6-8 months.
The Republican legislature needs to not cave to the bullies on the left. As is, the bill isn’t strong enough.
They also need to adopt the DeSantis redistricting map and not cower and adopt a “give concessions to the Democrats” map. What would the Democrats do if they held the majority? Well, look at the redistricting map the Democrats are adopting in New York and California.