Ben Shapiro continues to lie about Florida's new anti-gay bill. On his podcast today, he claimed that the bill prohibits exclusively (1) the teaching of homosexuality or gender identity to (2) children in grades K-3. Both are lies, as anyone who simply reads the bill can see.
https://twitter.com/mjs_DC/status/1486081506028228618
The bill does not merely ban "teaching" about homosexuality or gender identity; it bars teachers from "encourag[ing] classroom discussion" of the topic—an intentionally vague and over-broad rule that could prohibit a teacher from simply mentioning their same-sex spouse.
Moreover, the bill does not apply solely to grades K-3, as Shapiro insists.
For grades K-3, it imposes an absolute ban.
For grades 4-12, it bars teachers from discussing LGBTQ people or issues in a manner that is "not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate."
For grades K-3, it imposes an absolute ban.
For grades 4-12, it bars teachers from discussing LGBTQ people or issues in a manner that is "not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate."
What qualifies as "encourag[ing] classroom discussion" about LGBTQ people in a manner that's "not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate"? The bill does not say. This is another vague and over-broad standard designed to gag teachers from mentioning LGBTQ stuff at all.
The only way anyone can learn what counts as "age-appropriate" discussion is for a parent to file a ruinous lawsuit against a teacher who allegedly "encourag[ed] classroom discussion" of LGBTQ issues.
Teachers will self-censor under the threat of such suits. That's the point.
Teachers will self-censor under the threat of such suits. That's the point.
Shapiro said today: "I'm just wondering why what I said is remotely controversial."
The bill he describes is simply not the bill that exists. He is lying about what it says. It applies to all grades, not just K-3. It is right there in the plain text.
The bill he describes is simply not the bill that exists. He is lying about what it says. It applies to all grades, not just K-3. It is right there in the plain text.
https://twitter.com/mjs_DC/status/1486096649139245063
If you ever read or listen to legal commentary about legislation, and the commentator does not quote the text of the bill directly, you should probably assume they're lying.
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