Normalizing Hate: A Difficult Discussion about LGBTQ+ Rights

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"Normalizing Hate" is a discussion concerning the laws, current events, and how our community is effected by the recent clawing back LGBTQ+ rights in Florida.

It is divided into three parts.  Part One uses the example of the recent expansion of "Don't Say Gay" to grades K-12 to illustrate how lawyers interpret anti-LGBTQ+ laws and upcoming legislation. Part Two scrutinizes a sampling of news articles and editorials to converse about current events.  Part 3 is an open discussion about how these laws affect the LGBQT+ community. Each Part should take about twenty minutes.

PART ONE

This is a presentation that will focus on the recent Board of Education’s decision to extend the Parental Rights in Education Act (“Don’t Say Gay”) from K-3 to K-12. It is intended to explain how lawyers interpret anti-LGBTQ+ laws and regulations. 

We will review the Act's language, read the new regulations (6A-10.081, F.A.C. and 6A-5.065, F.A.C.) (full text available below), and discuss the rhetorical background during the rulemaking process. We will scrutinize the presentation and staff reports delivered to the Board of Education immediately before the Board promulgated the new regulations (full presentation and regulation text also available below). 

We will then rapidly summarize other new laws targeting the LGBTQ+ Community. The laws are linked below and will be included in the discussion packet.

• Senate Bill 254 (effective May 7, 2023; enjoined on June 6, 2023) regulates sex reassignments, bars sex reassignment to minors, provides for state custody of minors engaging in sex transitioning procedures, prohibits insurance company's from paying for transitioning medical treatments, increases doctors' civil and criminal liability for providing transitioning medical treatment.
• House Bill 1069 (effective July 1, 2023) censors classroom discussions about sexual orientation or gender identity through 8th grade, expands book bans, no parental right transgender pronouns for children. 
• House Bill 1521 (effective July 1, 2023)  prohibits gender-inclusive restrooms and changing facilities in government buildings and correctional institutions.

Please note that there is a temporary restraining order imposed by the ND FLA federal court. You can read the order here.

You can also read a QueeDoc article detailing what the new law, if it is ever allowed to go into effect, does here.

PART TWO

We will then explore current events through a selection from one of these topical articles: 

• Ramirez, Nikki, "DeSantis Administration Expands 'Don't Say Gay' Law to High School," Rolling Stone (April 10, 2023).
• Safuto, Vincent, "Hernando Teacher in Trouble for Showing Disney movie in class," (May 16, 2023).
• Block, Melissa, "Florida Families Face Confusion After Gender-Affirming care Ban Temporarily Blocked," (June 9, 2023).  

PART THREE

The presentation concludes with an open discussion about how Florida's recent clawback of LGBTQ+ rights has affected the community (us) as individuals. We will underemphasize our logical counterarguments to the new laws and rules. Instead, for those who feel comfortable doing so, we will highlight our feelings and individual stories.

CONCLUSION

At  the end of the discussion, participants should have a greater insight into how lawyers interpret anti-LGBTQ+ laws and regulations, current events effecting LGBTQ+ rights, and how members of the community have been individually effected.