Florida state Rep. Adam Anderson has proposed a bill that would broaden Florida’s prohibition on teaching some students about sexual orientation and gender identity; another provision in the bill would prohibit public school employees from sharing their preferred pronouns with students if those pronouns do not correspond to their gender.
The bill goes further than a previous law that prohibited the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.
“Classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity by school personnel or third parties 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,” state law states.
However, Anderson’s proposal would extend that prohibition to prekindergarten through eighth grade, with the legislative text stating that it would also apply to charter schools.
And in addition to banning public school workers from telling students their preferred pronouns if those pronouns do not align with their sex, the bill would also block public school workers from asking students to share their own preferred pronouns.
“An employee or contractor of a public K-12 educational institution may not provide a student with his or her preferred personal title or pronouns if such preferred personal title or pronouns do not correspond to his or her sex,” the measure’s text states. “A student may not be asked to provide his or her preferred personal title or pronouns by an employee or contractor of a public K-12 educational institution, nor may he or she be penalized or subjected to adverse or discriminatory treatment for failing to provide his or her preferred personal title or pronouns.”
“An employee, contractor, or student of a public K-12 educational institution may not be required, as a condition of employment, enrollment, or participation in any program, to refer to another person using that person’s preferred personal title or pronouns if such personal title or pronouns do not correspond to that person’s sex,” according to the measure.
