TAMPA — At a Christian school in Tampa, Governor Ron DeSantis signed numerous measures addressing concerns connected to sexuality, schools, and gender care for kids. These bills were signed at the same time.
The first bill makes it illegal for kids to have gender surgery or use puberty-delaying medications, and it gives Florida the authority to stop surgeries that involve minors from other states who have parents from Florida.
One bill amends the Parental Rights in Education Act to include students in eighth grade, earning it the nickname “Don’t Say Gay” from its detractors.
Some jurisdictions make it illegal for persons under the age of 18 to attend drag shows and compel people to use the stalls in public buildings, schools, and jails that are designated for the gender that they were born with.
One of the provisions prohibits teachers from inquiring with pupils about their preferred pronouns. “We’re not doing the pronoun Olympics here,” DeSantis declared to shouts from the audience at Cambridge Christian School.
Responses are trickling in from organizations that voted against the bill in the legislative body. Equality Florida, a support group for LGBTQ people, has referred to the new restrictions as “an all out attack on freedom.” Joe Saunders, senior political director for the state of Florida, believes that Ron DeSantis is “setting Florida’s reputation ablaze” in his campaign to obtain the Republican nomination for president.
According to a number of publications, DeSantis will reportedly make an announcement regarding his candidacy for president as soon as the next week.
In response to the anticipated backlash to the laws that DeSantis signed into law, he stated that he was proud to take “incoming” on behalf of parents.
A bill that makes significant changes to the Florida High School Athletic Association was also signed into law by the governor.
The manner in which the association handled COVID and high school athletics, as well as the action taken by the organization to stop prayer at a state high school football championship game, are among the factors that have led to this decision. Because of this bill, DeSantis will have increased authority over the FHSAA and its membership.
In a federal action involving the FHSAA’s decision to suspend a pre-game prayer at a high school football championship game, Cambridge Christian is appealing a judge’s decision to stop the prayer before the game. On June 27th, the court in Jacksonville will hear the parties’ arguments.
