Stephens opposes “Don’t Say Gay” bill
An editorial condemning Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and warns of similar bills.
A bill in Florida that prohibits discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade public school classrooms has been signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
In an editorial for the New England Board of Higher Education, President Sonya Stephens said this bill, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by its opponents, is “less about protecting students than it is about cynically fueling America’s political divide. And Florida’s bill is part of a nationwide trend as 15 similar bills now move through other state legislatures.”
“As a leading liberal arts college in Massachusetts — one with strong ties to Florida through our Posse scholars program, which brings cohorts of Miami-area students to our campus every year — we at Mount Holyoke are deeply dismayed to see this issue used to score cheap political points,” she said. “The legislation will likely do significant harm to young students, many of whom are being lovingly raised in families headed by gay or gender-queer parents. Are kindergarteners who draw pictures of their families, headed by two men or two women, for example, really to be prohibited from proudly celebrating their loved ones?”
