Florida state lawmaker proposes bill to expand ban on teaching students about sexual orientation and gender identity

Florida state Rep. Adam Anderson has proposed a measure that would expand Florida's prohibition against teaching some students about sexual orientation and gender identity — another provision in the bill would ban public school workers from sharing their preferred pronouns with students, if those pronouns do not align with their sex.

The measure goes further than a law approved last year that prohibits teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.

"Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards," state law declares.

But Anderson's proposal would expand that prohibition to prekindergarten through eighth grade — the legislative text stipulates that this provision would also apply to charter schools.

And in addition to banning public school workers from telling students their preferred pronouns if those pronouns do not align with their sex, the bill would also block public school workers from asking students to share their own preferred pronouns.

"An employee or contractor of a public K-12 educational institution may not provide to a student his or her preferred personal title or pronouns if such preferred personal title or pronouns do not correspond to his or her sex," the text of the measure reads. "A student may not be asked by an employee or contractor of a public K-12 educational institution to provide his or her preferred personal title or pronouns or be penalized or subjected to adverse or discriminatory treatment for not providing his or her preferred personal title or pronouns."

"An employee, contractor, or student of a public K-12 educational institution may not be required, as a condition of employment or enrollment or participation in any program, to refer to another person using that person's preferred personal title or pronouns if such personal title or pronouns do not correspond to that person's sex," the measure also states.

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