Today is the day. The homophobic hate-fueled Parent’s Education Bill, nicknamed the Don’t Say Gay bill just passed in the Florida Senate in a vote of 22-17. Next step: the bill heads to the desk of Florida Governor, and douchebag, Ron DeSantis. He might be too busy yelling at teenagers to remove their masks to actually sign the bill. wishful thinking.
Related: Kate McKinnon hilariously speaks for all of us on SNL: ‘I am deeply gay.’
STUDENTS ALL OVER FLORIDA WALKOUT, PROTEST, HEAD TO THE STATE CAPITAL
Organized walkouts and protests have been happening throughout Florida, with most occurring on Thursday and Friday, March 3rd and 4th. Caravans of students, parents, and educators mobilized and traveled to Tallahassee where the bill is set to be voted on in a matter of hours. As we previously reported Jack Petocz, a junior at Flagler Palm Coast High School in Palm Coast, was suspended indefinitely after helping organize walkouts for a number of schools.
DISNEY FACING MAJOR BACKLASH
Walt Disney World is – wait for it – THE LARGEST single-site employer in the United States with over 70,000 cast members. Globally Disney employs over 200,000 people. If statistics are true and 1 in 10 people identify as queer then approximately 7,000 people working for Mickey Mouse and co. identify as LGBT or Q. In the past day or two Disney CEO Bob Chapek has finally addressed the bill though in the vaguest, non-committal way possible:
“I do not want anyone to mistake a lack of a statement for a lack of support. We all share the same goal of a more tolerant, respectful world. Where we may differ is in the tactics to get there. And because this struggle is much bigger than any one bill in any one state, I believe the best way for our company to bring about lasting change is through the inspiring content we produce, the welcoming culture we create, and the diverse community organizations we support.”
“Finally, I want to address concerns about our political contributions in Florida. While we have not given money to any politician based on this issue, we have contributed to both Republican and Democrat legislators who have subsequently taken positions on both sides of the legislation. I can also share that Geoff Morrell, our new Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, will be reassessing our advocacy strategies around the world—including political giving—as he begins to integrate the communications, public policy, government relations and CSR teams.”
Maybe stop contributing to Republican legislators? Time to take a stand, Disney! Schools across Florida can IMMEDIATELY CANCEL ALL GRAD NIGHTS, FIELD TRIPS, EXCURSIONS to Walt Disney World. Hit them where it hurts – the bank.
SPOKESPERSON FOR RON DESANTIS CALLS BILL ‘ANTI-GROOMING’
Make no mistake, the intention of this bill is cruelty. The GOP wants to hurt and attack gay youth and families. The wording in this bill was crafted to instill fear in parents of young children, and it worked magnificently. I hate saying anything nice about Republicans but their messaging is brilliantly crafted and they all tow the line.
In a move no one saw as shocking, and previously reported on by The Hill,
“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) longtime press secretary Christina Pushaw over the weekend tweeted that she believed educating children about sex leaves them vulnerable to abuse and likened opponents to the so-called Don’t Say Gay bill moving through the state legislature to pedophiles.”
Pushaw’s tweets actually said,
“The bill that liberals inaccurately call ‘Don’t Say Gay’ would be more accurately described as an Anti-Grooming Bill. 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. Silence is complicity. This is how it works, Democrats, and I didn’t make the rules.”
The oldest trick in the book, comparing gay people to pedophiles. Fucking GOP trash.
Instinct magazine will continue to provide up-to-the-minute coverage on the Don’t Say Gay bill. Sound off in the comments below. Let us know how you feel and what our next steps should be! Don’t forget the war on queer youth in Florida is a war on all of us.
{**This post is solely the opinion of this contributing writer and may not reflect the opinion of other writers, staff, or owners of Instinct Magazine.}
The GOP keeps getting more and more ludicrous. Next, it will be “don’t say Negro”. They are already trying to remove black history and slavery from history books. Old white men need to die already.