Tag: Gay Rights

FLORIDA’S “DON’T SAY GAY” LAW

A sub-class created by fiat and dogma

When a new law is proposed, I put it through a three-pronged test to see if it makes sense. First, is this act or bill good for the majority of those who live within the jurisdiction? Second, is the intent of the proposal something different that what’s on the surface? Finally, if signed into law will the proposal hurt any one person or class of individuals?

That brings us to Florida House Bill 1557, which State Governor Ron DeSantis has now signed into law. When reporters asked about this so-called, “Don’t Say Gay” law, DeSantis snapped at them asking if they’ve read the bill. Notice that he takes this afront personally by constantly reminding that the new law does not disallow use of the word “gay,” but let’s get back to those three tests.

This bill is cloaked in an invalid paranoia that parents have lost their rights over their children. There is a stack of specific federal and state laws that clearly detail what parents can and cannot do with their minor children. I’m a retiree living in the state of Florida. I don’t have kids in the school system, but I do pay taxes for its operation, and I see no possible good that can come from this law. And let’s be clear, these are mandates in a state where over the past two years Ron DeSantis’ whiny mouth kept telling us how mandates are bad. The man even sold “Don’t Fauci Florida” T-shirts to fatten his campaign treasure chest.

Florida’s Governor seems to be against everything the federal government stipulates, but sees no problem imposing his personal viewpoints, beliefs and values on the state’s citizens. This is tantamount to the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” laws instituted by the military years ago, which have now been erased by the common acceptance of various sexual orientations among human beings. What is the true purpose of this law? How does it help the majority of Floridians?

When I put it under the microscope of reason and logic, I see this new law isn’t about kids at all, and it’s even less empowering for their parents. It’s a power grab by the panhandlers in the northern part of the state and Tallahassee to give MORE POWER to the State’s Commissioner of Education, who seems to be totally controlled by the Governor instead of the people. By giving the Commissioner the right “to appoint a special magistrate for unresolved concerns,” DeSantis has crafted a way to dilute a parent’s legal authority to protect their kids.

Should you have any doubt about the meaning of this new law, the following is an excerpt. Read on… The Special Magistrate is an attorney and member of the Florida Bar who is appointed by the state to preside over code enforcement matters. The special magistrate shall have all the authority and powers set forth in this part or in F.S. § 162.08, which states, this special magistrate will,

(1) Adopt rules for the conduct of its hearings.

(2) Subpoena alleged violators and witnesses to its hearings. Subpoenas may be served by the sheriff of the county or police department of the municipality.

(3) Subpoena evidence to its hearings.

(4) Take testimony under oath.

(5) Issue orders having the force of law to command whatever steps are necessary to bring a violation into compliance.

So, the state has just taken away the rights of parents and any and all LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS to guide their children and handed the parents and the kids over to a state appointed attorney, who might have no children. How is this reasonable or good? BTW, many states already had this procedure in place, but were those states studied?

When questioned about why something is positive for the community and challenged by what he claims is the far left “woke movement,” Ron DeSantis typically ends the discussion with, “I don’t care what they think!” This guy truly doesn’t care and bluntly says so. He sees any opinion or concern that doesn’t align with his as WRONG.

Does this new law hurt anyone? Florida’s HB 1557 has codified a broad class of people, including lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered, with a biased brush stroke that now makes it against the law for any educator, teacher, parent or student to discuss their sexual orientations. Think about that. This hurts human beings in general. Remember that a gay child or a child’s gay parents are human beings, not a sub-class. Sadly, I am not sure the government of Florida, with its gerrymandered Republican and white majority of powerbrokers, really cares about hurting people. Their focus is having power, keeping that power, and imposing their values and dogma on everyone else. There is no compromise or comprehension with people they consider beneath them.

DeSantis’ exposes his shame by pushing back so hard when someone suggests it’s a “Don’t say Gay” law. This educated politician knows deep down inside this law is wrong, and he hates when anyone calls it out for what it is. The true test of lanugae is to ask, if you discuss the state of mind of being “gay” is that okay? Ron DeSantis insists the law isn’t “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, but the language “prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels or in a specific manner…” So, it’s now a crime in the state of Florida to say GAY, because that word, as well as lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism, are off the table. It’s true the law is limited to parents and educators of kids in K through third grade, but the door is open just wide enough to allow the commissioner and his or her magistrate to bust anyone discussing “sexual orientation.”

I hate to be a pedantic and “woke” truthteller, but this is a poorly written law and DeSantis, who claims to be a brilliant lawyer, should have seen that from the start. I am a straight, male, heterosexual, but, now in the state of Florida, you cannot talk about my orientation. Yes, one cannot have a discussion in Florida classrooms about men and woman who get married and have babies. You dumb bastards have used general language to keep this law on the right side of Jesus, while eliminating YOUR SIDE. I hope the potential court challenges against this new law go forward. Should the law’s proponents attempt to “improve” it by using discriminatory and specific language, they will truly find themselves on the wrong side of the law and history.

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Trump Transitions to Discrimination

When Mike Pence, then Governor of Indiana, signed that state’s ‘religious freedom’ bill, he cemented his name on the short list of those politicians who would be considered for Trump’s Vice President.

The Republicans in the Indiana state government kept saying that this bill would not restrict the freedoms and liberties of the LGBTQ community, but it was certainly a way for businesses to use their religious viewpoint to restrict those who may not share their “normal” views on gender.

Within days, Pence was challenged and backed down, “After much reflection and in consultation with leadership in the General Assembly, I’ve come to the conclusion that it would be helpful to move legislation this week that makes it clear that this law does not give businesses a right to deny services to anyone.”

Proving that Pence, an astute politician, wasn’t going to let valuable dollars from major national events leave his state, he moderated. And now, we find another move to thwart the rights of a certain “kind” of person in America.

Trump revoked federal guidelines specifying that transgender students have the right to use public school restrooms that match their gender identity. Interestingly enough, his administration released the letter after the national newscasts were put to bed, but right before the Trump teams appears at the CPAC Meetings.

Obama, while in office, cited Title IX as the basis for why schools had to provide services, protection and restrooms for transgender humans.

Title IX says, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

One of things that the new Attorney General Jeff Sessions worries about is the difference between the words ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ and whether the title alone could make the Obama rule stick. And now we get to play an interesting little game of what words mean.

Gender means, the state of being male or female (typically used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones) and Sex means either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and many other living things are divided on the basis of their reproductive functions.

So, if you thought Roe v. Wade was in jeopardy, you were right. Those who want to repeal Roe v. Wade are the same people pushing the “agenda” that tries to force LGBTQ people to kowtow to those meanings rather than reality. Lawmakers should focus on the word, “typically” because as we have learned, there is nothing typical about this situation. Typically means, “In most cases” and that does leave the door open to this might not be “in all cases.”

If the government gets to control what you do within your own gender-self view, could they then demand that you NOT look like the gender of your choice? It’s not a far reach to be nervous that those in power could decide what every woman, or man, does with her or his own body? As in repeal of Roe v. Wade, as an example.

Gay people are already in your restrooms Republicans. You just might not know which ones of YOU are Gay. And Lesbians use women’s rooms, because of how they view themselves, not because of any law. And Bi-Sexual people do what they want, not because of Title IX, but because they are free to be who they want to be.

NPR says there are as many as 1.4 million Americans who consider themselves Transgender. And if the United States doesn’t take a stand for all citizens, then we might as well burn the United States Declaration of Independence. All men are created equal, even when they may not want to be men, or women. Pretty clear to any thinking American, that Trump, Pence and Sessions are living in 1952.