These employees called for Chapek to better advocate for LGBTQ people by publicly condemning the bill, refusing funding from lawmakers who support anti-LGBTQ legislation and donating to organizations fighting for LGBTQ rights and causes, according to the employees’ walkout website. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law last week, Disney published a statement saying the law should have never passed and that the company would support organizations fighting to have it repealed, according to a Variety article about the company’s stance.ĭisney’s statement comes after employee backlash and a walkout in response to Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s initially soft public stance on the bill, according to NPR. Patrick vowed to prioritize Texas legislation limiting lessons about LGBTQ people in a campaign email Monday with the subject “I AM DONE WITH DISNEY!” Patrick denounced The Walt Disney Company for publicly promising to help repeal the controversial Florida law. But education advocates say that the state’s own laws are driving teachers out of the profession and scaring away potential teachers. Texas’ teacher shortage has increased so much that Abbott called for the creation of a taskforce that will look to fix the issue. Legislation like Texas’ so-called critical race theory law and investigations into books about race and sexuality have put added pressure on teachers already feeling burnout caused by the pandemic. The GOP often misapplies the term to any discussion about race. Texas Republicans are following a national playbook of feeding off conservative parents' fears that “critical race theory” is being taught in public schools and children are being exposed to obscene sexual content.Ĭritical race theory is the study of how race has influenced not only human behavior but shaped laws and policies, and educators say it is not taught in Texas’ public schools as it is mostly a university-level subject. Patrick’s announcement comes on the heels of a Republican-led spree to limit what can be taught in schools about race and American history, restrict what books about race and sexuality appear on library shelves and criminalize gender-affirming health care for transgender children, even treatment medical experts support.
Schools must also inform parents of any health-related questionnaires or health screening forms that may be given to any kindergarten through third grade student.
#What is dont say gay free#
The lawsuit alleges that the law violates the constitutional rights of free speech, equal protection and due process of students and families, according to NPR.įlorida’s law also requires school districts to notify parents about health services offered at the school and the option to decline such services. A lawsuit filed by LGBTQ groups in Florida seeks to strike down the law there. “While politicians use hate speech that is far from center to harm our vulnerable youth, we will continue to love our children and make sure that all families are uplifted in public life.”Ĭritics say that the Florida measure’s intent is to stifle and marginalize LGBTQ people and their families. What is scary is that political activists are grasping at power by overstepping into the lives of Texas families and education of students,” Benavidez said. “Gender expression by children is not something that is scary or harmful.
Months later, the fight hasn't stopped.Val Benavidez, executive director of the Texas Freedom Network, said in a statement to The Texas Tribune that Patrick’s promise to bring similar legislation to the state is a “stain on Texas.” Students in several Florida schools across the state held protests against the decision - in Osprey, Palm Coast, St.
Student activists have continued to organize against the Parental Rights in Education law months after it was signed by Gov. He is one of many students in the state, both in and out of K-12 schools, who fear the impact of the bill. LGBTQ advocates have said the law would chill speech and classroom discussion about these topics and force some students to hide their identity due to shame. Moricz has been outspoken against the Florida law that bans LGBTQ curriculum from some classrooms. "It would have felt inappropriate as the first openly gay class president in a public school, not to address a piece of legislation that's going to harm gay children in public schools in Florida," Moricz told ABC News. Zander Moricz's graduation speech last month about his curly hair - a metaphor for being a gay young adult - has became a symbol for the impact of anti-LGBTQ sentiment and so-called "Don't Say Gay" laws across the country.