FL Education Commissioner Defends Expanding Ban on Discussing Gender Identity in Classrooms

Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Díaz Jr. on Thursday defended the Florida Board of Education rule seeking to prohibit classroom discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity for children through grade 12, explaining that they are “sticking to the standards,” which “don’t incorporate gender ideology or any of these theories in math, social studies, reading or anything else.”

Diaz fielded a question about the proposed Board of Education rule during a press conference alongside Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday. The rule itself would essentially prohibit classroom discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity through all grades — not just third grade — as is the law via the Parental Rights in Education bill, which the governor signed last year.

The rule title, “Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida,” essentially states that such discussions would be prohibited unless “expressly required by state academic standards as adopted in Rule 6A-1.09401, F.A.C., or is part of a reproductive health course or health lesson for which a student’s parent has the option to have his or her student not attend.”

The rule’s summary states:

The amendment prohibits classroom instruction to students in pre-kindergarten through grade 3 on sexual orientation or gender identity. For grades 4 through 12, instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited unless such instruction is either expressly required by state academic standards as adopted in Rule 6A-1.09401, F.A.C., or is part of a reproductive health course or health lesson for which a student’s parent has the option to have his or her student not attend.

“What you’re really looking at and the rule is, to avoid the confusion, provide clarity for teachers on the instruction,” Diaz said in response to the inquiry.

He said:

There’s a bill going through the legislature, like you said, but this rule basically says that we’re sticking to the standards, and when you’re talking about K through 12 instruction all the way through 12th grade, these standards don’t incorporate gender ideology or any of these theories in math, social studies, reading, or anything else.

“We preserve the health standards, and that provides it [and] makes it clear for teachers what it is because there were a lot of questions about age appropriate. Well, this clarifies it for everyone,” he added.