Member of the Florida Department of Education and a Florida highschool senior… I organized this walkout in Winter Park, Florida in protest of the #DontSayGay bill. twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

My highschool was on lockdown for the second time this semester today. We were swatted, students were told nothing, and teachers were crying, expressing their frustration that this is a “normal” part of their job. Schools are the backbone of society, we ALL deserve better. So many of my teachers have quit. The remaining teacher are overwhelmed with the amount of responsibilities and students they have. They they are simply unable to give us adequate personal time, sending a message to the students that nobody cares for us.

Recently, I have received what feels like endless threats, homophobia, and people calling me a groomer/pedophile. i’m 17 and seeing what people say about me is scary. This is a direct result of Desantis homophobic rhetoric. They are attacking minors. Protect kids. The amount of hate i get over social media is disturbing. Complete adults calling ME a predator for talking about my experience growing up gay, homophobia, and mental health struggles.