Advocates for Youth welcomes the news that non-profit organizations Equality Florida and Family Equality reached a historic settlement agreement limiting the reach of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law. The settlement clarifies that teachers and students may still discuss gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms, though not as components of formal classroom instruction. Previously, the law had been understood to ban any mention of LGBTQ+ identity, including banning books and artwork that even mention same-sex identity. 

In response, Debra Hauser, President of Advocates for Youth, issued the following statement:

“Young people are more accepting of and more likely to identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community than any other generation, and they deserve classroom environments that celebrate and affirm them – not laws that treat their identity as shameful and wrong. This court settlement is progress and an important win for teachers, students and advocates in Florida. We need to get rid of transphobic and homophobic laws in Florida and every state that has them on the books to ensure all young people see themselves represented in the classroom and in curriculum.”