ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Heading back to school is exciting for some, but others said this year is different, given the Parental Rights in Education law, deemed by critics the “Don’t Say Gay” law, is now in effect.
The head of the Orange County Teachers Union said as teachers head to school, many are still confused about what they can and can’t say in the classroom.
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Last week, Orange County Public Schools released guidelines from the state to offer some clarity.
Meanwhile, a group of parents and their children have sued several Florida school districts hoping to have the law, which prohibits the discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms, struck down.
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Jen Cousins is one of those parents.
“It’s a culture war that did not need to be invented,” Cousins told News 6.
“I was incredibly angry about it,” Cousins said. “Of all the things that are happening in our world right now, especially in the state of Florida, to be going after kids like this is just outrageous.”
The lawsuit is against Orange, Indian River, Duval, and Palm Beach counties and their school boards.
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There is a family representing each district.
Cousins has children in elementary, middle and high schools in Orange County.
“The intent behind the bill was to keep queer kids in the closet,” Cousins said.
The law prohibits “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade” and should be “age-appropriate” in older grades, according to the law.
Cousins has a 12-year-old who identifies as nonbinary and two other children going into first and third grades.
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Cousins believes the law would prevent her younger children from talking about their older sibling at school.
“Then somebody goes home and says, ‘Hey mom and dad, guess what so-and-so said at school today?’ The parent can come in now and try to sue the school because they don’t like that their kid was exposed to what my kid is,” Cousins said.
It’s not just families who are concerned.
Clinton McCracken has been an art teacher with Orange County Public Schools since 2001 and is the current president of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say that teachers are extremely anxious,” McCracken said.
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“There’s a lot of anxiety because the laws were written so vaguely, and there’s so much unknown about exactly how they will be implemented,” McCracken said.
Just last week, Orange County released clarification from the state that teachers can, if they choose, still display safe space stickers and rainbow lanyards that show they are allies to the LGBTQ+ community.
The law restricts “instruction” on sexual orientation and gender identity, not mere discussion of those subjects, according to guidelines released by OCPS and disseminated to teachers during pre-planning.
Teachers are “free to respond if their students discuss … their identities or family life, provide grades and feedback if a student chooses ‘LGBTQ identity’ as an essay topic and answer questions about their families.”
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Based on these guidelines teachers can in fact “say gay,” but Cousins wonders how other districts will interpret the law.
Heather Wilke is the executive director of the Zebra Coalition, a network of organizations that provide services to LGBTQ+ youth, including mental health counseling.
Wilke wants students to know as they head back to school, they have support.
“I’m very concerned about how these students are going to feel about themselves. We’re very concerned about their mental health status,” Wilke said.
The Zebra Coalition started in 2010 and each year they have served about 400 young people through their programs.
They offer several services even down to laundry, showering and food for those who need it. For more information, click here.
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