A future educator’s perspective on the LGBTQIA+ debates in Florida
Editorial April 4, 2022, Comments OffThere has been a mass amount of political debate in recent months regarding the laws within Florida that are trying to be implemented within education. Being a current Middle School Education major, I have had a multitude of thoughts on the subject, beginning with the controversial, and recently passed bill nicknamed, ‘Don’t Say Gay’ within Florida.
The short summary of this bill states in lines 97 through 101, “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards”.
Another line also states the banning of, “classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity” for grades above 3rd unless it is deemed age and developmentally appropriate.
The first of many issues I personally have boils down to the utter vagueness of the bill. “Classroom discussion” can encapsulate an abundance of topics that are banned from being discussed. In this regard, imagine a scenario. Each student is instructed to draw their family tree and discuss with the class who is who. What if one student has gay parents? Am I, as a teacher, supposed to forbid the student from discussing something that is an integral part of their family?
“Classroom Instruction” is also vague when looking at the wording of this document. There is no clear line of what would be considered allowed. Is it as “simple” as not mentioning the sexuality of historical figures who may be discussed in class, or as severe as banning books in the classroom with LGBTQIA+ characters?
There has been an uproar from the passing of this bill from teachers, administrators and residents of Florida. And although I may not be a resident or educator residing in the state of Florida, I don’t believe I could truly comprehend my feelings of anger and hopelessness that I feel when thinking of what this could mean for children and their education. Whether parents and those who support this bill want to admit it or not, the LGBTQIA+ community is not something that will just go away. People are in this community. People have loved ones within the community and support them wholeheartedly. Whether your child hears about it in a classroom when they are in 3rd grade, versus 6th grade, versus high school, versus TikTok, etc. They WILL hear and learn about it. It’s a part of society and is not something you can force to hide simply because you don’t want it.
My logic then moves into confusion. Rather than your child find out through the Internet or social media, would you not prefer your child to learn and have a greater knowledge of the world they inhabit? Especially learning from someone, such as a teacher who almost certainly studied for four or more years about how to teach difficult subjects. Maybe this is a crazy concept that some people just don’t understand, but just because you learn about something does not mean that you immediately and wholeheartedly agree. Just because I learned that there is a theory that the Earth is flat does not mean I believe it, and does not mean I have to agree with it. However, on the flip side, people will be queer regardless of whether you let them talk about it.
This also begs the question, who are the enforcers of this bill? The problem regarding the vagueness of this bill then also begins with the fear that teachers must always be walking on eggshells within their own classroom.
Again the bill states “[…] in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards”.
Who decides what is age or developmentally appropriate for children to learn or know about? The answer in most situations, even though it’s not right, would be the parents. The reason behind it not being “right” is because there can be a vast difference between what each parent thinks is appropriate. One parent could say they are not comfortable with a pride flag being on the wall, whereas another parent could be uncomfortable with talking about the possibility of two moms or two dads. There is simply no way to prepare for what each parent would decide.
Also, this is perhaps another debatable topic of my own, but, I believe parents and guardians should be involved in the classroom and have good communication to understand their student’s academic career. However, being responsible and controlling what a teacher is allowed to say or not say is a step too far.
Also, there is no question that the mental health of those within the LGBTQIA+ community is low within youth if they feel as if they are not supported. With the rise of mental illness and suicide rates, what resources will there be? Who will students feel like they can go to? And if they do go to their teacher for advice, would that teacher be breaking the law for discussing sexuality and gender identity?
I, as a teacher, know that I would never turn my back on a student if they came to me for help or would add any level of oppression and redact my support. In my opinion, the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is a clear form of oppression and fundamentally lacks consideration of the level of care for students and educators alike, who deserve to say gay, and what that means.
In my firm opinion, as a future educator with my current training, you cannot be a positive teacher, ally and advocate for your students if you support bills like this. And I do not support this bill with every fiber of my being.
Article by Gabriella Wuller
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