Florida’s state board approved Governor Ron DeSantis’ expansion to his anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.  Before this expansion, sexual orientation or any discussion of gender studies was banned up to third grade. 

This current expansion agreed upon by Florida’s Board of Education bans discussion in class about orientation and gender identity in all grades from K-12 with the only exclusion being mandatory state requirements and optional reproductive health classes.

This is all in light of other Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation made by DeSantis and the House. The House passed a bill to make giving gender-affirming health care to minors a felony and another that requires bathrooms to be labeled as male, female, or unisex: with trans people being prohibited from using the bathroom of their gender, instead forcing them to use the bathroom as what they were assigned at birth. 

DeSantis has also moved to pull licenses to sell food and alcohol from businesses that hold drag shows in a move against drag shows as a whole. 

All of these recent bills show an increasing rise of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and sentiment within government. The LGBTQ+ community has expressed outrage at these bills, stating that it harms the community and its existence as a safe and exclusive space, specifically for teenagers where conversations around gender and sexual orientation are key in their growth as people.