The Biggest Lie About Florida's "Don't Say Gay" Bill Erases One Crucial Word

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Mark Joseph Stern
@mjs_DC
Please do not fall for conservative media's efforts to obscure the real meaning of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, which DeSantis just signed into law. I encourage you read the statute for yourself and explore its key provisions line by line:

slate.com
The Biggest Lie About Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill Erases One Crucial Word
A close reading shows how the measure’s supporters obscure the sweeping scope of its censorship.
10:15 AM · Mar 28, 2022

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/03/florida-dont-say-gay-censorship-republican-lies.html


In the week since Florida lawmakers passed H.B. 1557, dubbed the “don’t say gay” bill, the law’s most prominent supporters have refused to publicly tell the truth about what the measure actually says. According to the law’s sponsors and cheerleaders, H.B. 1557 is a simple ban on teaching very young students about sex. It is needed, they say, to prevent “groomers”—specifically, gay and trans teachers—from attempting to corrupt and indoctrinate children with explicit classroom materials. The “don’t say gay” moniker, they insist, is misleading: Teachers and students can still talk about LGBTQ issues; they just can’t force 8-and-unders to learn about gay sex and gender transition.

This framing of H.B. 1557, which Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign into law, is, objectively, a lie. It is refuted by the text of the bill itself, as well as its legislative history, which shows that Republican lawmakers rejected efforts to turn the measure into a straightforward prohibition on sex education in early grades. In reality, H.B. 1557 uses intentionally vague language to outlaw a huge amount of speech about LGBTQ people, families, and issues—not just sex—in every grade. And it relies upon a vigilante enforcement mechanism to chill an even broader amount of speech by subjecting violators to humiliating investigations and ruinous lawsuits. The fact that H.B. 1557’s supporters lie about these basic facts suggests that they know their bill is indefensible and must conceal its true meaning to drag it over the finish line.

At every turn of the legislative process, Republican lawmakers and commentators have misrepresented this bill. During floor debates in the Florida House and Senate, a stream of GOP legislators asserted that the bill would merely expand parents’ rights and limit young children’s exposure to graphic sexual instruction at school. Ben Shapiro said the measure is devoted to “protecting small children from the predations of adults,” dismissing any other interpretation as “propagandistic lies.” Conservative media figures are all reading from the same script, accusing Democrats and mainstream media of exaggerating the law’s purpose and effects. On the far end of the spectrum, Christina Pushaw, DeSantis’ press secretary, called H.B. 1557 the “anti-grooming bill,” claiming that anyone who opposes it is “probably a groomer.”

Set aside, for now, this revival of the odious myth that gay people prey on children, attempting to “convert” or “recruit” them into homosexuality, then molesting them. Instead, to puncture these lies, let’s look at the words that Republican legislators used when drafting H.B. 1557. Unlike tweets, articles, and speeches in defense of the bill, words are the law, and they are worth reading closely.

*snip*

[Bobstandard]

1. Wow! In reality it's a "don't be gay" bill

The Slate article by Mark Joseph Stern makes it clear that the effects of the bill are extreme. Their intent seems to be to make life miserable for gay people and the people around them. Disgusting.

This is another example of how low Republicans have gotten. They are really into hate, blame, and destruction.

There is that old expression, something about, “they came for X, and I did nothing, then they came for me.” Well, they’re coming for you and me and for everyone who doesn’t think exactly like them. Make no mistake.

[gratuitous]

2. Shorter Mark Joseph Stern: Republicans lie

This happens quite a lot in legislatures across our country, particularly those controlled by Republicans. They'll pass some odious law that imposes unthinkable burdens on the electorate. Then they deny the screamingly obvious text of their own law: "Nobody will read the law we just passed and conclude that it means what it says." And then, when the dire consequences of the law become apparent, Republicans are just fine with that and will blame the victims of their legislation for listening to them rather than reading the law as enacted. Stern encapsulates it nicely: "Unlike tweets, articles, and speeches in defense of the bill, words are the law, and they are worth reading closely."