Unfounded right-wing fears about “grooming,” which have also fueled the fringe QAnon conspiracy theory, are “spiking at a moment when long-marginalized LGBTQ identities are starting to appear in popular culture and to become more accepted,” according to a recent Washington Post report - and critics say it is precisely these fears that Republicans such as DeSantis are seeking to exploit.įlorida Gov. “If you’re against the Anti-Grooming Bill, you are probably a groomer or at least you don’t denounce the grooming of 4-8 year old children. “The bill that liberals inaccurately call “Don’t Say Gay” would be more accurately described as an Anti-Grooming Bill,” DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw recently tweeted. In response, Republicans have only ratcheted up their rhetoric, conflating orientation and identity with sexual activity itself in an effort to smear opponents as so-called groomers bent on sexualizing children and even enabling pedophilia - a charge that seems to presume that mentioning “two moms” is somehow more sexual for young children than mentioning “a mom and a dad.” “It’s the chilling effect that is a natural implication of this legislation.” “Cash-strapped school districts can’t afford to test the bounds of a law like this,” Brandon Wolf of the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida recently told the Washington Post, citing reports that some schools in the state have started to peel off rainbow safe-space stickers from windows. That, in turn, will allow offended parents to drag the school district to court - a threat that critics fear might dissuade teachers and students from even acknowledging the existence of LGBTQ characters, historical figures, friends and family members. Revelers at the Tampa Pride Parade on March 26 in Tampa.
(The law’s preamble prohibits not just “instruction” but “classroom discussion” as well.) As critics of “Don’t Say Gay” have pointed out, the actual text of the law - “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards” - is vague enough to encompass nearly any reference that offends certain parents, including a passing mention of a student with two mothers or fathers. Overall, just 27% of Americans say discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity should be “legal” in K-3 classrooms - while nearly half (49% for sexual orientation, 48% for gender identity) say they should be “illegal.”
It also explains why Democrats may struggle to respond. The resulting imbalance - with conservatives united in their support and liberals largely divided - helps explain why the GOP is leaning into the “Don’t Say Gay” debate as it seeks to rally its base and drive a wedge between Democrats ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. In contrast, just 1 in 10 Republicans opposes the ban. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)Īt the same time, another 24% of Democrats say they’re “not sure” how they feel - leaving only about half (52%) in explicit opposition. Attendees at the “Say Gay Anyway” rally in Miami Beach, Fla., on March 13.