Elections Matter: Passing Laws Against LGBTQIA2S+ People in the US

 In January 2022, I reported on the "Don't Say Gay" bill that was moving through the Florida House. In February 2022, I, again, wrote about this heinous law. The "wolf in sheep clothing" law is officially titled "Parental Rights in Education" bill. 

What is in this bill? Joe Sommerlad, Alex Woodward, and Megan Sheets of yahoonews.com, wrote the following about Senate Bill 1834: “'A school district may not encourage classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.' Further, it explicitly states that parents 'may bring an action against a school district to obtain a declaratory judgement that a school district procedure or practice violates this paragraph and seek injunctive relief. A court may award damages and shall award reasonable attorney fees and court costs to a parent who receives declaratory or injunctive relief.'”

This means that simply discussion of LGBTQIA2S+ issues, like a child discussing what it is like to live with two dads or two moms, is forbidden in the classroom, let alone a child talking about one's feelings or attractions to someone of the same gender, or talking about and exploring being transgender, all which happens as early as when a child is in second or third grade. Again: many of us knew we were attracted to people of the same sex early in our lives, but didn't have any language or examples of how to talk about it. And so we remained silent. 

And Governor Ron DeSantis also had this to say about the Bill's effects (from the same article noted above): "The Governor claims that the bill addresses 'sexual stuff' and 'telling kids they may be able to pick genders and all that. How many parents want their kindergarteners to have ‘transgenderism’ or something injected into classroom discussion?; he said during a press conference last week."

The Bill is not limited to kindergarten through third grade. It includes children of all ages and grades, up through and including high school. 

What is equally appalling is the, first, silence, and then, second, the double speak of Disney boss Bob Chapek, who won't come out strongly and say how heinous this bill is and advise the legislators to stop this bill, while still saying he and Disney support LGBTQIA2S+ people who work for Disney, as well as pay for Disney entertainment. Disney is the largest employer in the state of Florida. Mr. Chapek actually says that Disney supports, economically, both Democrats and Republicans. 

If this Bill is signed into law, which many of us expect it will, watch how this law is imitated in other states throughout the US, in primarily Republican state legislatures. In the washingtonpost.com today, they reported that there are fifteen such bills being considered in nine states (March 8, 20200). Equality Florida has said that if one child is hurt with this law they will sue the state of FL. Kara Gross, the legislative director and senior policy counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, has argued: “It is always appropriate for kids to talk about themselves, their experiences and their families. These are not taboo subjects, but banning them makes them so.“This bill does nothing to help and support our youth. It’s meant to stigmatize LGBTQ youth and family members, and to make teachers fearful of providing a welcoming and inclusive classroom.” And others have argued that Florida is putting up a big sign to those considering moving to or visiting Florida: LGBTQIA2S+ people and their families are not welcome here! Still others, myself included, are concerned about the spike in teenage suicides among those who are LGBTQIA2S+. This Bill will, effectively, lead to more deaths.

Here's a link to the article: https://news.yahoo.com/florida-don-t-gay-bill-145224709.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall.

As I've written on this blogpost the last few months, the "Don't Say Gay" bill is not an isolated incident. Texas Governor Abbott and state Attorney General Paxton, along with legislators in Arizona, are also targeting LGBTQIA2S+ people with executive orders and bills that are harmful towards especially transgender young people. The same is true in the state of Oklahoma. And this last week, the Governor of Iowa Kim Reynolds signed a harmful bill into law aimed at transgender athletes, as have Republican Governors in other states.

Take note: there are more bills coming. Also take note: these bills come from Republican state legislatures. How do these legislators come into power? Through elections. And it is only through elections that these bigoted lawmakers can be legally stopped, by never voting for them, or voting them out of power.

And what does this have to do with faith communities? The silence of our faith communities, again, is profoundly loud. 

It is past time to cause "good trouble." 

May it be so.