Proposed Legislation Would Expand So-Called ‘Don't Say Gay' Law to Prohibit Preferred Pronouns

A member of the Florida House of Representatives has introduced legislation that would expand what critics called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill to prohibit someone from describing themselves or others with pronouns besides the ones they were born with in the context of the state’s education system.

NBC affiliate WFLA-TV reports House Bill 1223, proposed by Republican Rep. Adam Anderson of Palm Harbor, would require “specified policies relating to person’s sex at public K-12 educational institutions” and “prohibits specified actions relating to use of certain titles and pronouns; and revises requirements for instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.”

The bill, which if passed would become law on July 1, would also expand the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act that bans topics of sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten to third grade to cover pre-K through eighth grade.

Employees, contractors, or students of Florida public schools will not be required to refer to others using a preferred personal title or pronoun if it does not match their sex, according to the proposed bill. Doing so cannot be required as a condition of employment, enrollment, or participation in any programs for public institutions.

A spokesperson for Equality Florida called the legislation “fake moral panic” from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his supporters for their own political careers.

“Don’t Say LGBTQ policies have already resulted in sweeping censorship, book banning, rainbow Safe Space stickers being peeled from classroom windows, districts refusing to recognize LGBTQ History Month, and LGBTQ families preparing to leave the state altogether,” Equality Florida Public Policy Director Jon Harris Maurer said. “Governor DeSantis and the lawmakers following him are hellbent on policing language, curriculum, and culture. Free states don’t ban books or people.”