ORLANDO, Florida. Students and teachers in Florida classrooms will be free to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity as long as it is not part of instruction, according to a settlement reached between Florida education officials and civil rights attorneys who challenged a state law known as "Don't Say Gay."
The settlement defines what is permitted in Florida classrooms following the passing of a statute two years ago barring instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in the early grades.
People who were against the rule said it was hard to tell if teachers could say they were LGBTQ+ or if they could even have rainbow stickers in their classrooms.
According to the terms of the settlement, the Florida Board of Education will send instructions to every school district stating that Florida law does not prohibit discussing LGBTQ+ people, prevents anti-bullying rules based on sexual orientation and gender identity, or prohibits Gay-Straight Alliance groups.
The settlement also states that the law is neutral, which means that whatever applies to LGBTQ+ individuals equally applies to heterosexual people, and that it does not apply to library works that are not used in the classroom.
"What this settlement accomplishes is reaffirm the core concept that I hope all Americans agree with:
"Every child in this country has the right to an education in a public school where they feel safe, their dignity is respected, and their families and parents are welcome," said Roberta Kaplan, the plaintiffs' main attorney, in an interview. "This shouldn't be controversial."
The office of Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, called the deal a "major win" and said the law would not change.
According to the press release, "Today's mutually agreed settlement ensures that the law will remain in effect, and it is expected that the case will be dismissed by the Court imminently."
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