Harding withdraws bill amendment that requires schools to out students

• Rep. Joe Harding (R-Fla.) previously filed an amendment to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill that would have forced schools to out children.
• The amendment would have required schools to disclose children’s sexual orientation to their parents within six weeks.
• Harding formally withdrew the amendment on Tuesday.

Rep. Joe Harding (R-Fla.) has formally withdrawn an amendment to Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill that would have required schools to out a child to their parents within six weeks of learning that information.

The bill, which has also been called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, received widespread criticism for banning schools from encouraging “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.”

The bill did not define what is “age-appropriate” or “developmentally appropriate.”

Harding, one of the bill’s cosponsors, previously filed an amendment to the bill that would require school staff to “out” students to their parents “within 6 weeks” of becoming aware of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The amendment stated that the school must facilitate a meeting with parents to “disclose such information” in a way that “protects the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of the students.”

It did not elaborate on the meeting setup, however, and did not consider potential “abuse, abandonment, or neglect” that would result from such disclosure.

On Tuesday afternoon, Harding officially withdrew the said amendment.

The bill will be voted on by the Florida House on Tuesday.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis voiced his support for the bill earlier this month, but President Joe Biden publicly denounced the legislation. The president also assured the LGBTQI+ community that they have his administration’s support.

Biden wrote on Twitter, “I want every member of the LGBTQI+ community — especially the kids who will be impacted by this hateful bill — to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are. I have your back, and my Administration will continue to fight for the protections and safety you deserve.”

Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, decried the potential repercussions of the legislation on Twitter.

In January, the former educator said that the bill would “kill kids,” and cited a survey from the Trevor Project that showed the high rates of suicide among LGBTQ youth.

Source: Business Insider