Both state and national Democrats have repeatedly referred to Florida’s HB 1557 as the “don’t say gay” bill and have fervently lobbied against it. Despite Democrat labelling, the legislation is aimed at banning same-sex education for children in elementary school. Christina Pushaw, who currently serves as press secretary for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, referred to Democrats as “groomers” for pedophiles over their fierce opposition to the bill. Currently, HB 1557 has made its way through the Florida state legislature and awaits the signature of Governor DeSantis, who is expected to sign it.
The section of the bill that has drawn the most extreme reactions from left-wing activists, politicians, and media, states that discussions of sexuality and gender should not take place in classrooms with students at the third-grade level or lower. The bill also states that parents should ultimately have a say in what their children are exposed to in school. “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3,” reads the legislation.
Democrats have repeatedly referred to the Florida bill as the “don’t say gay” law, however, and have omitted the bill’s true focus. Earlier in the week, Florida Senate Democrats uploaded a video of elected officials parading around an office hallway while yelling the word “gay” repeatedly. “We’ve got one thing to say to our GOP colleagues — GAY!” wrote the official account of the Florida Senate Democrats in a tweet.
We’ve got one thing to say to our GOP colleagues — GAY! pic.twitter.com/AiXzW0chUq
— Florida Senate Democrats (@FLSenateDems) March 7, 2022
Christina Pushaw, who serves as press secretary for Governor DeSantis, said Democrats opposed to the legislation were “groomers” for pedophiles. “The bill that liberals inaccurately call ‘Don’t Say Gay’ would be more accurately described as an Anti-Grooming Bill,” Pushaw wrote in a Twitter thread. “The bill has nothing to do with LGBTQ people. You invented that angle when you falsely called it ‘Don’t say gay’ despite the fact that the word ‘gay’ isn’t in the bill. Now, why do you think it’s appropriate to teach 3-8 year olds about sex?”
The bill that liberals inaccurately call “Don’t Say Gay” would be more accurately described as an Anti-Grooming Bill.
— Christina Pushaw
(@ChristinaPushaw) March 4, 2022
Democrats continue to push back on the Florida bill while the Biden Administration has hinted at taking action. Biden has personally referred to the state’s effort to ban sexual education for third graders as “hateful.”