“Last person to the bench is gay!” This was yelled every morning when we ran out to recess in the fourth grade. Not knowing what the word meant, I would always rush to the bench. One day, I made it last, and I was mocked by all of the boys. It has been three years, and now I'm openly bi, and questioning my gender. I recalled this bizarre instance when I first heard about the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, that passed in Florida. For those of you who don’t know, the Don’t Say Gay bill passed on the first of March.. It restricts learning about the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and more) community, and even allows parents to sue schools if a teacher or fellow student is to touch on these topics. The bill also calls learning about this topic “abusive and neglectful”. The President himself has called the bill hateful.

These statements against the queer community are simply dehumanizing and unjust, and it will only damage the mental health of adolescents who are a part of the community. In fact, this is even backed up by several surveys conducted by The Trevor Project. In the last year, 42% of queer students in the US (specifically trans and non-binary) have attempted suicide, due to suppressive views. With the bill passing, this percentage will only go up.

Along with this, students who are a part of the community will be harassed by classmates, due to the topic being stigmatized, only further worsening the mental health state of LGBTQ+ adolescents. Gay would be a word constantly used in a negative manner, and students who are actually gay could easily feel invalidated and as though they don’t belong. In fact, 59% of students in the US hear gay used in a negative way.

This will stigmatize the topic further, causing others to be excluded. And, due to the fact that the bill also rewrote the counseling standards, these students might not seek help because their school counselor would have to tell said student’s parents. The bill claims that if someone is to come out as gay, trans, etc. and it goes against their parent’s wishes, then they should not be accepted.

To help those who are affected by this bill, vote against those who are supporting this hateful bill, and do what you can to help those who need it. Help to connect students affected with help if that is what they need. Participate in activism in your community. Encourage others to join you. If you are being affected, know that you are loved, and there are so many people who are willing to support you.

Works Cited:

 Alfonseca, Kiara “Don’t Say Gay” Bill Passes Florida Senate.” ABC News, 8 Mar. 2022, abcnews.go.com/Politics/dont-gay-bill-passes-florida-senate/story?id=83301889, accessed March 8, 2022

Berger, Eric. “How Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Law Could Harm Children’s Mental Health.” The Guardian, 4 Apr. 2022, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/04/florida-dont-say-gay-bill-children-mental-health, accessed Mon 4 Apr 2022 

Goldstein, Dana. “Opponents Call It the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill. Here’s What It Says.” The New York Times, 18 Mar. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/03/18/us/dont-say-gay-bill-florida.html, accessed March 18, 2022