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u.s. news Diamars 29 maart 2022

‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

(AP) — Florida Gov. Ron job in protest. After DeSan-
DeSantis signed a bill on DeSantis signed the bill af- tis signed the measure, the
Monday that forbids in- ter a news conference held company released a state-
struction on sexual orien- at the Classical Preparatory ment saying, “Our goal as
tation and gender identity School in Spring Hill, about a company is for this law to
in kindergarten through 46 miles (74 kilometers) be repealed by the legislature
third grade, a policy that north of Tampa. The school or struck down in the courts,
has drawn intense nation- was founded by Anne Corco- and we remain committed to
al scrutiny from critics ran, wife of Education Com- supporting the national and
who argue it marginalizes missioner Richard Corcoran, state organizations working
LGBTQ people. according to The Gainesville to achieve that.”
Sun.
The legislation has pushed Throughout debate in the
Florida and DeSantis, an as- Public backlash began almost GOP-controlled statehouse,
cending Republican and po- immediately after the bill Democrats have said the
tential 2024 presidential can- was introduced, with early bill’s language, particularly
didate, to the forefront of the criticism lobbed by Chasten the phrases “classroom in-
country’s culture wars, with Buttigieg, the husband of struction” and “age appropri- in kindergarten through third Parents” slogan. DeSantis
LGBTQ advocates, students, U.S. Transportation Secre- ate,” could be interpreted so grade, do not teach about gave the children the pens he
Democrats, the entertain- tary Pete Buttigieg, and con- broadly that discussion in any these subjects and have state used to sign the bill.
ment industry and the White demnation from LGBTQ grade could trigger lawsuits curriculum standards guid-
House denouncing what advocacy groups. Democratic and create a classroom atmo- ing classroom lessons. The White House, which has
critics have called the “Don’t President Joe Biden called it sphere where teachers would sparred with the DeSantis
Say Gay” bill. “hateful.” avoid the subjects entirely. The bill’s sponsor, Repub- administration over a range
lican Rep. Joe Harding, has of policies, has issued state-
DeSantis and other Repub- As the bill moved through “The bill’s intentionally said it would not bar spon- ments against the bill.
licans have repeatedly said the legislature, celebrities vague language leaves teach- taneous discussions about
the measure is reasonable mobilized against it on so- ers afraid to talk to their stu- sexual orientation or gen- U.S. Secretary of Education
and that parents, not teach- cial media, and criticized it at dents and opens up school der identity in schools but Miguel Cardona recently
ers, should be broaching sub- this year’s Academy Awards. districts to costly and frivo- would prevent districts from held a call with LGBTQ
jects of sexual orientation and Florida students staged walk- lous litigation from those integrating the subjects into students in Florida and said
gender identity with their outs and packed into com- seeking to exclude LGBTQ official curriculum. During in a statement issued Mon-
children. mittee rooms and statehouse people from any grade lev- the bill’s early stages, Hard- day that his agency “will be
halls to protest the measure, el,” said state Rep. Carlos ing sought to require schools monitoring this law upon
The bill states: “Classroom often with booming chants of G. Smith, a Democrat who to inform parents if a stu- implementation to evaluate
instruction by school person- “We say gay!” is gay. “Even worse, #Dont- dent came out as LGBTQ to whether it violates federal
nel or third parties on sexual SayGay sends a hateful mes- a teacher. He withdrew the civil rights law.”
orientation or gender identity The Walt Disney Company, sage to our most vulnerable amendment after it picked up
may not occur in kindergar- a powerful player in Florida youth who simply need our attention online. For teachers in Florida, the
ten through grade 3 or in a politics, suspended its po- support.” bill has caused some confu-
manner that is not age ap- litical donations in the state, At the bill signing ceremony sion over what is allowed in
propriate or developmentally and LGBTQ advocates who Andrew Spar, president of Monday, several young chil- the classroom as well as con-
appropriate for students in work for the company criti- the Florida Education Asso- dren accompanied DeSantis cerns over frivolous lawsuits,
accordance with state stan- cized CEO Bob Chapek for ciation, said the bill amounts and other politicians near the said Michael Woods, a special
dards.” Parents would be able what they said was his slow to a political wedge issue podium, with some holding education teacher in Palm
to sue districts over viola- response speaking out against for Republicans because el- signs bearing the governor’s Beach County with about
tions. the bill. Some walked off the ementary schools, especially “Protect Children/Support three decades of experience.

Jury awards $14M to George Floyd protesters in Denver

(AP) — Jurors on Friday a group of 12 who sued. and protester video of inci- message to police in Denver emotional talking about what
found police used exces- dents. and elsewhere by finding the it meant to have the jury side
sive force against protest- The jury of two men and six city liable during closing ar- with the protesters.
ers, violating their con- women, largely white and Lawyers involved believed guments. “It feels like being seen,”
stitutional rights, during drawn from around Colora- it was the first trial in a law- Epps said.
demonstrations over the do, returned its verdict after suit challenging officer tac- “Hopefully, what police de-
killing of George Floyd about four hours of delibera- tics during the 2020 protests partments will take from this The protesters said the ac-
two years ago, ordering tions. The verdict followed that erupted around the na- is a jury of regular citizens tions of police violated their
the city to pay a total of three weeks of testimony and tion over the police killing takes these rights very seri- free speech rights and rights
$14 million in damages to evidence that included police of Floyd and other Black ously,” he said after the ver- to be protected from unrea-
people. dict. sonable force. Jurors found
violations of both rights for
The protesters who sued Elisabeth Epps, a lawyer and 11 of the protesters and only
were shot at or hit by every- activist who was one of the free speech violations for the
thing from pepper spray to protesters who sued, said other. The protesters claimed
a Kevlar-bag filled with lead the attorneys for the city she Denver was liable for the po-
shot fired from a shotgun. loves gaslighted the protesters lice’s actions through its poli-
Zach Packard, who was hit in during the trial, questioning cies, including giving officers
the head by the shotgun blast their account of what hap- wide discretion in using what
and ended up in the intensive pened. At one point, a lawyer police call “less lethal” de-
care unit, received the largest for Denver called her a “pro- vices, failing to train officers
damage amount — $3 mil- fessional protester” after she on them, and not requiring
lion. testified that she had attend- them to use their body-worn
ed protests since she was a cameras during the protests
One of the protesters’ law- child and had received train- to deter indiscriminate uses
yers, Timothy Macdonald, ing about how to respond to of force.
had urged jurors to send a being tear-gassed. She grew