Florida Congressman Tears Up While Opposing ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill on House Floor

Democrats in Florida succeeded Tuesday in getting an amendment to the state’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill withdrawn but it did not make the legislation any better “at all, in any way, shape or form,” Democratic Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith said. The amendment, which would have required schools to disclose children’s sexualities to their parents, was “sinister, malicious, and unconscionable,” Smith, the state’s first LGBTQ+ Latino lawmaker, said. During the subsequent House question-and-answer session on the education bill, which would prohibit primary schools from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity, Smith became emotional as he decried the “deeply personal” legislation. “Telling schools they can’t say ‘gay’ or can’t say ‘trans’ as part of instruction means that we are slowly being erased,” he said. “And I will not stand by and do nothing while that happens, members.” Republican Rep. Joe Harding, who withdrew the amendment after public outcry, said the bill was not about “outing a student,” but empowering “parents to be engaged in their children’s lives.” The House is expected to vote on the bill Thursday.