The legislation prohibits public school teachers from teaching "subjects related to sexual orientation and gender identity" to lower school students, and teachers cannot teach subjects in any grade that are not "appropriate for the age or development" of the students.

Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor of the state of Florida, signed the Parental Rights in Education Child Protection Act on Monday, the American press reported.

The legislation prohibits public school teachers from teaching "subjects related to sexual orientation and gender identity" to lower school students, and teachers cannot teach subjects in any grade that are not "appropriate for the age or development" of the students. The law, which comes into effect on July 1, also prohibits schools from withholding information about a child from parents.

DeSantis said at the signing ceremony:

he has seen "educational materials about sexuality and woke gender ideology" as well as libraries containing "clearly inappropriate pornographic material for very young children".

Standing behind a podium labeled "Protecting Children" and "Supporting Parents," the governor emphasized that at least six Florida school districts have policies that exclude parents from making decisions about their children's "well-being."

International media outlets, LGBTQ organizations, some Hollywood actors, and the White House also consider the law "hateful and discriminatory." The left refers to the legislation as "Don't say gay", while the text of the law does not contain the word "gay" at all, nor does it prohibit teachers from saying it.

At Sunday night's Oscars ceremony, several actresses tried to protest Florida's child protection law by saying the word "gay" several times in a row. On Monday, Ron DeSantis responded to the action by saying: "If people who used to see the degenerate Harvey Weinstein as a role model and a hero oppose us for parental rights, then I take that as an honor."

Harvey Weinstein, one of Hollywood's most influential former movie moguls, was sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2020 after several of his employees and many actresses accused him of sexual abuse, harassment, and one actress of sexual assault.

DeSantis and Republicans called the legislation "reasonable" and stressed that parents, not teachers, should be discussing sexual orientation and gender identity with children.

"We will make sure that parents can send their children to school to learn, not to instill something into them"

- said the governor of Florida on Monday.

MTI

PHOTO BY DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD/TAMPA BAY TIMES/ASSOCIATED PRESS