TAMPA, Fla. (WTXL) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says November's upcoming election is a chance to solidify Florida as the country's "citadel of freedom."
During a campaign speech at Tampa's Moms For Liberty summit Friday, he touted his prioritization of the economy during the pandemic, his push to return students to in-person learning, plus a slate of new state laws.
Among them, is HB 1557, which critics call the Don't Say Gay bill.
It restricts instruction of sexual orientation or gender identity in K-3 classrooms— or in a manner "not age appropriate."
The governor said the law protects parental rights.
"We're not going to have some first grader be told— you know, your parents named you Johnny. You were born a boy— but maybe you are really a girl. That is inappropriate to be doing in school and we're not going to allow that to happen in Florida," DeSantis said during the rally.
Opponents have called the law a scare tactic.
Others consider it an attack on the LBGTQ+ community that'll have a chilling effect on speech in the classroom.
HB 1557 is facing a legal challenge and has drawn opposition from the Biden administration as well.
