Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

LGBTQ Florida Lawmaker Gets Choked Up In Powerful Speech Opposing 'Don't Say Gay' Bill

LGBTQ Florida Lawmaker Gets Choked Up In Powerful Speech Opposing 'Don't Say Gay' Bill
@CarlosGSmith/Twitter

*The following article contains discussion of suicide/self-harm

Florida Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, a Democrat who is the first openly LGBTQ+ Latino lawmaker to serve in the state legislature, appeared visibly upset as he spoke out against a bill that would ban discussions about sexual orientation and gender in classrooms.


Florida’s Republican sponsored Parental Rights in Education bill, or H.B. 1557, was passed in the House Education and Employment Committee late last month. The bill, colloquially known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, aims to “reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children in a specified manner.”

The bill wants to prohibit “a school district from encouraging classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a specified manner” and authorizes parents to “bring an action against a school district to obtain a declaratory judgment that a school district procedure or practice violates certain provisions of law.”

You can hear what Smith said about the GOP sponsored bill in the video below.

Speaking while the chamber debated the legislation, Smith made an impassioned plea for his own humanity as well as the humanity of other LGBTQ people, asking:

"What topics specifically about people like myself, LGBTQ Floridians, are not appropriate to teach in the classroom? What part of conversations about people like myself are not age appropriate?”

After being scolded by Chris Sprowles, the Republican House Speaker, for asking questions "in ways that are personal to other members," Smith replied:

“I’m going to try my very best to comply, to not make my questions personal, but the bill is deeply personal and I’m trying my very best, Mr. Speaker."

Smith's opposition to the bill inspired observers who've criticized the bill's Republican backers.

They praised him for speaking out against legislation that LGBTQ+ advocates and many of his fellow Democrats said would only harm children.




The bill's sponsor, Republican state Representative Joe Harding previously claimed the bill is “designed to keep school districts from talking about these topics before kids are ready to process them.”

However, his justifications have only further galvanized activists.

Last month, educator and activist Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, said the "Don't Say Gay" bill isn’t about “parental rights” at all but about discrimination and control. Chasten Buttigieg acknowledged LGBTQ+ people and their families have often been used as scapegoats throughout history and said the legislation would "push LGBTQ families away and into the closet."

Adding the bill would "kill kids," he went on to cite statistics from The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth.

Buttigieg noted suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 24 and that 42 percent of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.

**

LGBTQ+ Youth can get help through:

  • TrevorChat — 24/7/365 at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help-now/#services
  • TrevorLifeline — phone service available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386
  • TrevorText — Text “START” to 678678. Available 24/7/365.
  • TrevorSpace — online international peer-to-peer community for LGBTQ young people and their friends at https://www.trevorspace.org/
  • Trevor Support Center — LGBTQ youth & allies can find answers to FAQs and explore resources at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/trevor-support-center/#sm.0000121hx9lvicotqs52mb1saenel

More from News/lgbtq

Screenshot of Stephen Colbert
CBS

Stephen Colbert Makes Somber Plea To Americans In Wake Of Charlie Kirk's Death

Late-night host Stephen Colbert had a somber message for Americans as he addressed the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk, stressing that "political violence only leads to more political violence."

Kirk died after an unidentified gunman shot him in the neck as he—ironically enough—mocked victims of gun violence at an event in Utah Valley State University. Kirk's murder has galvanized the far-right, with President Donald Trump and his surrogates claiming without evidence that rhetoric from Democrats is responsible for Kirk's death.

Keep ReadingShow less
a woman sunbathing on rocks.
a person sitting on a towel on a beach
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

People Share The Weirdest Flexes They Heard Someone Say With A Straight Face

It is never attractive to gloat.

Even so, some people can't help but brag, or "flex" as it is sometimes known, about certain accomplishments or attributes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @thedowntheredoc's TikTok video
@thedowntheredoc/TikTok

TikToker Hilariously Calls Out Target After Champion Pants Feature Awkwardly-Placed Front Pleat

Sometimes you can just tell when something was designed *for* women, but was not actually designed *by* women.

Take, for instance, the new pleated pants available at Target from the Champion clothing line. While there's nothing wrong with pleated pants and they certainly have a suitable spot in the workplace, the latest rendition of Champion pleated pants are, shall we say, NSFW.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @kaicutch's Instagram video
@kaicutch/Instagram

Woman Flips Her Car After Belting Out Ironic Britney Spears Lyric In Wild Viral Video

Whether we want to admit it or not, we've all had our fair share of carpool karaoke and maybe even imagined our car as our own personal recording studio.

But TikToker and Instagrammer Kaitlynn McCutcheon may have gotten too into her performance of Britney Spears' classic, "Hit Me Baby, One More Time," when the road and her car both said, "Bet."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from ​@lynnshazeen's TikTok video
@lynnshazeen/TikTok

Woman Goes Viral After Revealing How Her Obsession With Matcha Landed Her In The Hospital

Let's be honest: Too much of anything isn't good for us. It's all about the balance!

But the media and social media trends have taught us that certain things are really good for us, encouraging us to be like the "very mindful and very demure" girls and take care of ourselves. One such example is drinking more matcha, especially if you really like coffee or think you have a caffeine addiction.

Keep ReadingShow less