Even at age 5, kids teased me because I didn’t look like my parents — I was adopted. Through “instruction”, teachers helped them understand why it was okay.
By threat of lawsuit, #DontSayGay bans teachers from “instructing” kids on why it’s okay to have LGBTQ+ parents. (1/10)
In high school, I realized I was gay. Ashamed and afraid of not being accepted by my family, I feared those kids in kindergarten had been right — that my parents had adopted a broken child.
How many kids will #DontSayGay make feel the same way today? (2/10)
In college, I earned an ROTC scholarship and enlisted in the Army, but was outed under #DontAskDontTell. I had to lie about who I was to serve our country.
Today, I’m a captain and medical officer in the Florida National Guard.
#DontSayGay = #DontAskDontTell for kids. (3/10)
Joined by Former Rep. @JoeSaunders4FL (our first openly LGBTQ+ legislator to be sworn into office), Rep. @CarlosGSmith (our state’s only openly gay Latino legislator) arrived to speak during public testimony against the #DontSayGay Bill. (4/10)
Soon after, I watched Chairwoman @kellistargel silence and dismiss Rep. @CarlosGSmith — preventing him from speaking out to protect LGBTQ+ families from #DontSayGay. (5/10)
When asked by Sen. @LeaderBookFL (a wife, teacher, and mother), Sen. @dennisbaxley refused to admit that parents could sue schools if they mistook “discussion” for “instruction” on “sexual orientation or gender identity” under #DontSayGay — an insult to our teachers. (6/10)
Sen. @senpizzo (a husband, attorney, and father) powerfully pushed back against the lie that #DontSayGay protects Florida kids and empowers parents.
He proved that it cruelly and shamefully forces our youngest students from “different” families to hide. (7/10)
Senators ignored that #DontSayGay suggests that there’s something wrong with “different” families — that only some are “age-appropriate” to teach our young kids about.
Students are never too young to be offered “instruction” on what all loving families look like. (8/10)
Then, despite a clear majority of Floridians in opposition, the #DontSayGay Bill still passed the Senate Appropriations Committee with only one Republican voting to protect our LGBTQ+ families. (9/10)
jacksonville.com/story/news/pol…
Afterwards, @equalityfl rallied with @AnnaForFlorida, @janellesofia, @JoeSaunders4FL, @micheleforfl and @CarlosGSmith to inspire us all to keep fighting #DontSayGay as it heads for a final vote in the Florida Senate. (10/10)
We march on — together!
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