Recently in Florida, a bill nicknamed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill was passed, which prohibits schools from teaching kids about sexual orientation and gender identity. This also allows teachers and staff to report any LGBTQ+ students to their parents.

Now this does not literally mean “don’t say gay,” but restricts elementary-aged students from openly discussing their sexual/gender identity, which they may not be able to do at home. School is supposed to be a learning environment as well as a safe space. There are councilors that preach for you to have an honest conversation with them, but if they now have the “go” on being able to tell your parents something you trusted them with, how do they expect for students to talk to them? There is already enough bullying from the students against LGBTQ+ people, but now the teachers and staff have the ability to chime in without any consequences.

Along with that, the schools under this bill will not teach LGBTQ+ gender identity or sexual orientation. Some children really struggle with figuring out who they are and only having access to learning about it on the internet is not very easy. It is actually a lot more difficult than you think. The web is such a large place and you may not be able to find exactly what you are asking. Being taught about it would make room for many questions.

One side of opinion believes this should be taught and it is important to be taught while the other side thinks that it is perverted to want to teach young kids about this. They think the only way this can be taught is by talking about the sexual aspect of LGBTQ+ relationships. That is certainly not the case. There are many ways that LGBTQ+ is incorporated into a young child’s life. For example, if a student has two mothers and they are chaperones. Children should be shown that it is okay for them to love the same sex or love the opposite. Heterosexuality has been pushed on kids for decades, but as soon as the idea of LGBTQ+ is given, it is immediately shut down.

What is the real problem? Why is it such a fuss that kids are learning about LGBTQ+? We need to realize that, in the real world, there are many LGBTQ+ people and to leave young people thinking they do not exist, and then they end up being one, is cruel.