Another ignorant attack on Florida for a law that doesn’t exist.
And the beat goes on. And on. And on.
World Business Chicago, the city’s public-private economic development arm, has joined thebaseless attack on what is wildly mislabeled Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.
Never mind that this is the kind of “misinformation” that social media platforms should ban, but hasn’t. The Parental Rights in Education act, simply put, rules out teaching the youngest school children about how they can change their gender identity. All you have to do is read it.
Here’s the part of the law that supposedly earns its critics’ deceptive label “Don’t Say Gay.”
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.
That’s it. Nothing else in the amended law attacks gays or anyone else who defines himself/herself/itself/theyself under the rubric LGBTQ+. I have to ask: For what purpose are innocents who still “wee wee” exposed to such terms as “Gender affirming surgery (GAS),” Gender Outlaw, Intersex, Neutrois, Top and Bottom surgery, Two-Spirit and the rest of the (required) lingo to identify the various shades of grey in the gay world. Go to the oh-so-helpful glossary ginned up by the UC Davis Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and see how many descriptives you, as a adult, can correctly identify.
Critics respond that the law is too vague, pointing to the clause that requires “age appropriate”instruction. Good Lord, who knows, with such opaque language, parents might insist that reading, writing and arithmetic be taught in the lower grades!
It will do no good to say I’m not homophobic after what I’ve written here. I’ll surely and sadly be labeled that, even though my objections here are centered on the ignorance and arrogance of the anti-parent lobby dominating the education industry. Equally sad is the loss of cognition by the business community that seemingly is guided by the scaredy-cat corporate PR mavens who fear the company will be tarred by witless wonks unless it falls in line.
Like what’s happening down in Orlando, where Disney condemned the Parental Rights law, another example of a big corporation captured by the same vacuous commentary that gets repeated ad infinitum by the media and the ideology they serve.
New York City has begun a similar “In Chicago, We believe” ad campaign to lure business away from Florida, where homophobia blossoms like a forest of healthy magnolias. The law proves that Florida is not inclusive, something that Chicago is so good at. Michael Fassnacht, president and CEO of World Business Chicago and the city’s chief marketing officer, told the Tribune that:
Chicago has values as a city, which makes it attractive for talent and corporations in the climate where other states drive legislation that is not respectful, inclusive of all the residents. I think that diversity is our key competitive advantage.”
If you think that “diversity” is Chicago’s “key competitive advantage,” you’ve got your head in the sand. Economic development experts usually rank key advantages such as a skilled workforce, welcoming business climate, attractive tax policies and more.
Chicago remains the Midwest’s economic center and crossroads of the nation’s transportation systems. How long is another matter.
What else is in the Florida law?
All kinds of scary stuff. Here’s a sample:
Schools “must reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children by requiring school district personnel to encourage a student to discuss issues relating to his or her well-being with his or her parent or to facilitate discussion of the issue with the parent. The procedures may not prohibit parents from accessing any of their student’s education and health records created, maintained, or used by the school district….’“A school district may not adopt procedures or student support forms that prohibit school district personnel from notifying a parent about his or her student’s mental, emotional, physical health or well-being, or a change in related services or monitoring, or that encourage or have the effect of encouraging a student to withhold from a parent such information…’‘Before administering a student well-being questionnaire or health screening form to a student in kindergarten through grade 3, the school district must provide the questionnaire or health screening form to the parent and obtain the permission off the parent….”
And more like that.
Good God! What’s this world coming to when teachers and administrators have to listen to parents?
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Don't say gay, Flrodai Parental Rights in Education Act, gender identity
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