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Florida’s LGBTQ teens and parents are going after their school districts over the recently-enacted H.B. 1557, widely known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
The lawsuit represents two Florida couples and their children, rising high school senior Will Larkins and the organization CenterLink, an international network of LGBTQ centers. It names school districts in the counties of Orange, Indian River, Duval and Palm Beach, which did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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Fellow plaintiffs David Dinan and Vikranth Gongidi added: “We are deeply concerned about the negative effect that HB 1557 has upon our family. The law limits our speech and our expression. The law forces us to self-censor for fear of prompting responses from our children’s teachers and classmates that would isolate our children and make them feel ashamed of their own family. It also causes irreparable harm to our children and to their development.”
The suit argues: “This vigilante enforcement mechanism, combined with the law’s intentionally vague and sweeping scope, invites parents who oppose any acknowledgment whatsoever of the existence of LGBTQ+ people to sue, resulting in schools acting aggressively to silence students, parents, and school personnel.
Ron DeSantis.Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg via Getty
The National Center for Lesbian Rights previouslyfiled another lawsuitagainst Florida GovernorRon DeSantisshortly after hesigned the bill into lawin March.
At the time of the signing, DeSantis, 43, said, “We will continue to recognize that in the state of Florida, parents have a fundamental role in the education, health care, and well-being of their children. We will not move from that,” according toCNN.
White House Press SecretaryKarine Jean-Pierre, thefirst openly gay personin the position, previouslydenounced the billafter it took effect earlier this month.
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“This is not an issue of ‘parents’ rights.' This is discrimination, plain and simple,” said Jean-Pierre, 47. “It’s part of a disturbing and dangerous nationwide trend of right-wing politicians cynically targeting LGBTQI+ students, educators, and individuals to score political points.”
President Joe Biden has also beenurging Congress to pass the Equality Act, which will ensure “long overdue” civil rights protections for LGBTQ people.
source: people.com
