With 417 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced this year, many of which target queer youth, mental health professionals are worried about how new discriminatory laws will affect childhood development, as well as community and workplace safety.
The state of Florida is determined to find out.
Florida's Parental Rights in Education law, better known as the "Don't Say Gay" law, has been expanded since its passing in March 2022. Originally, the legislation banned public schools from teaching about gender or sexual orientation from kindergarten through third grade. The new provision extends this ban through the 12th grade, effectively eliminating any discussion of identities that deviate from heteronormativity.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, as well as the law's supporters, argue that the expanded rules are supposed to ensure parents can decide when and how they introduce LGBTQ-related topics to their children. But for queer children or any child being raised, for example, by same-sex parents, their basic identities have been rendered invisible and reprehensible, says Dr. Sophia Murphy, director of wellness at TBD Health, a sexual healthcare platform and provider.
"When we're talking about the legality of parents' right to introduce these concepts to children, we're speaking as if one's gender or sexual orientation is optional," says Dr. Murphy. "When you can't acknowledge the student next to you or their...
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