Experts predict disastrous outcomes for LGBTQ students in the state if the legislation passes.
On Monday, hundreds of students staged a walkout at a high school in Orange County, Florida, demonstrating against a proposed bill that would limit discussion of LGBTQ issues in schools throughout the state. More than 500 students participated in a protest at Winter Park High School, organized to oppose legislation — colloquially known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — that is currently being debated in the state Senate. The legislation would ban discussion of LGBTQ issues in primary school classrooms and severely curtail what can be discussed in older grades, and could have disastrous repercussions beyond lesson plans. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has signaled that he will sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk. Students at Winter Park High School shouted slogans in support of their LGBTQ peers, chanting “We say Gay” to demonstrate their opposition to the bill. Students taking part in the demonstration also held signs in support of transgender students. Will Larkins, a junior at the high school and one of the students who helped organize the protest, said that the walkouts would continue if the legislation moved forward or was eventually passed into law.
