WASHINGTON – The White House promised this Friday to defend Florida students and teachers who suffer discrimination due to the “Don’t say gay” law, which from today prohibits talking about sexual orientation in the state’s classrooms.
In a statement, the White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, explained that the Department of Education will monitor the application of this law and encouraged any student who “suffers discrimination” by this legislation to present a complaint.
“Our Administration will continue to fight for the dignity of every student and their families in Florida and across the country,” said the president’s spokesman, Joe Biden.
The law, passed by the Florida Congress and signed into law by the state governor, Republican Ron DeSantis, entered into force this Friday and establishes that a school district “cannot encourage discussion in the (elementary) classroom about sexual orientation or identity. gender identity”.
Jean-Pierre described this legislation as “shameful” because it violates the freedom of students of “being themselves”.
He also criticized that teachers are being instructed not to wear clothes with the colors of the rainbow flag and homosexual teachers have been asked not to take photographs of their couples to schools.
“These are family photos like the ones I have on my desk,” said Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House spokeswoman in history.
According to the Press Secretary, this “is not a matter of parental rights, but rather it is of discrimination, plain and simple”.
In addition, he considered that it is part of a “disturbing and dangerous” ordago that is being undertaken by the “far right” throughout the country against the LGTB collective, promoting the “harassing” and “censoring” educators es.
“This must stop”, he demanded.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running for re-election this year and may compete with Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, has promoted its ultra-conservative agenda thanks to the absolute majority enjoyed by the Republican Party in both chambers of the state legislature.