---

 [ LGBTQ ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=380)

#  Florida Lawmakers Consider Extending Don’t Say Gay Law Up to Sixth Grade

January 16 2023

Written by Molly Sprayregen.

<a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a><a class="a2a_button_email"></a><a class="a2a_button_print"></a>[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)

CONSERVATIVE POLITICS - The office of Florida Gov. DeSantis (R) has confirmed that the anti-LGBTQ+ governor is supportive of extending the stipulations of the state’s Don’t Say Gay law – known formally as the Parental Rights in Education Act.

Right now, the law bans discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity up to third grade, and a staffer for the state’s Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R) [told *The Daily Mail ](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11624693/Ron-DeSantis-expand-Dont-Say-Gay-law-6th-grade.html)that lawmakers are thinking about introducing legislation to expand the law up to sixth grade.

In a press conference in December, Passidomo expanded on this, saying that she doesn’t think she’d “be supportive of high school because kids in high school are, hopefully, a little more mature, or at least they should be, but you know, the middle school, maybe go up to 6th grade or something like that.”

DeSantis Press Secretary Bryan Griffin then said that “The governor would certainly consider the merits of such a bill in final form if it comes to his desk as a product of the forthcoming legislation session.”

Griffin said DeSantis often expresses his belief that “the purpose of our education system is to educate kids, not indoctrinate kids.”

In addition to banning classroom instruction on LGBTQ+ issues up to third grade, the law as it currently stands also requires in vague terms that discussions on the topic in older grades be “developmentally appropriate.”

Instead of defining those terms, the bill allows parents to sue schools if they believe the law was violated.

DeSantis’s support for increasing the age range for the Don’t Say Gay law is not a surprise, as he has made it clear he is virulently opposed to protecting LGBTQ+ students.

In December, it was revealed [that DeSantis helped](https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/12/ron-desantis-helped-moms-liberty-members-get-school-boards-settle-political-scores/) members of the anti-LGBTQ+ group Moms for Liberty get elected to local school boards in his state.

An educational anti-censorship expert says this development is part of DeSantis’ plan to shift his state’s schools toward a conservative ideology. With Moms for Liberty in control, curricula will exclude LGBTQ+-inclusive and anti-racist education.

And more recently, [DeSantis appointed](https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/01/desantis-appoints-anti-lgbtq-activist-college-board-reconquer-schools/) the far-right anti-LGBTQ+ activist Christopher Rufo to the board of trustees of the New College of Florida – a school with a reputation for being progressive and queer-friendly.

Rufo told the *New York Times* the board is planning a “top-down restructuring” of the school that will involve designing “a new core curriculum from scratch.”

“If we can take this high-risk, high-reward gambit and turn it into a victory,” he said, “we’re going to see conservative state legislators starting to reconquer public institutions all over the United States.”

*(Molly Sprayregen is a queer writer. Her work can be found in Out Magazine, Them, Into Magazine, The Associated Press, LGBTQ Nation, Roxane Gay's Gay Magazine, and more. More info at MollySpray.com. This story was featured in LGBTQNATION.com)*

 [ ![save up to 4000 on used evs](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/LADWP/dwp%20ev%20ad2.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")

 [ ![Donna Tryfman](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/ADS%20FOR%202026/Donna-Tryfman-Ad-Final-Complete-Border-White-Margin.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/98 "Donna Tryfman - HS1-1")

 [ ![LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/LADWP/dwp%20level%20pay%205-7-25.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)")

 [ ![David DeJute Campaign](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/ADS%20FOR%202026/DejuteAd.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/111 "David DeJute Campaign")

 [ ![Pay Water Bill Help](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/LADWP/dwp%20-%20cares-ad.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")

 [ ![Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/ADS%20FOR%202026/reitano%20vertical%20rework.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/112 "Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col")

 ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/banners/signup-for-cw.png)

## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays &amp; Thursdays

 Website

 ---

##  Featured CityWatch Stories

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/8c/074h-8ccaaf79.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33349:l-a-county-faces-a-government-shake-up&catid=312)

### [L.A. County Faces a Government Shake-Up](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33349:l-a-county-faces-a-government-shake-up&catid=312)

WESTSIDE - Currently larger than 40 states in terms of population with roughly 10 million residents, Los Angeles County…

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/4d/073e-4dc54bff.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33336:may-day-international-workers-day-a-major-us-holiday-ignored-by-the-media&catid=398)

### [May Day/International Workers Day, a Major US Holiday Ignored By The Media](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33336:may-day-international-workers-day-a-major-us-holiday-ignored-by-the-media&catid=398)

PLANNING WATCH - Monday, September 7, 2026, was Labor Day, a holiday only celebrated in the United States and Canada as…

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/17/074g-17fdff1c.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33346:before-we-ask-god-to-judge-us-the-jewish-people-must-judge-ourselves&catid=375)

### [Before We Ask God to Judge Us, the Jewish People Must Judge Ourselves](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33346:before-we-ask-god-to-judge-us-the-jewish-people-must-judge-ourselves&catid=375)

Yom Kippur demands more than personal repentance. At a defining moment for Jews everywhere, it asks whether we have tru…

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/09/073i-0998df2d.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33330:cd3-doesnt-need-another-promise-it-needs-a-councilmember-who-can-deliver&catid=401)

### [CD3 Doesn’t Need Another Promise It Needs a Councilmember Who Can Deliver](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33330:cd3-doesnt-need-another-promise-it-needs-a-councilmember-who-can-deliver&catid=401)

THE BOTTOM LINE - Los Angeles voters have heard the promises before: safer streets, cleaner neighborhoods, more housing…

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/12/073d-1253ced3.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33338:quid-pro-no&catid=378)

### [QUID PRO NO](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33338:quid-pro-no&catid=378)

MY VIEW - Quid pro quo: Latin for “this for that.” English for “bribe.” In Assemblymember Schiavo-speak: quid pro no—“N…

---

##  [ LGBTQ ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=380)

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Sept-2026/074n2.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33356:the-laurel-foundation-launches-the-art-of-online-auction-to-benefit-programs-for-lgbtq-youth-and-families&catid=380)### [The Laurel Foundation Launches THE ART OF\_ Online Auction to Benefit Programs for LGBTQ+ Youth and Families](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33356:the-laurel-foundation-launches-the-art-of-online-auction-to-benefit-programs-for-lgbtq-youth-and-families&catid=380)

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Sept-2026/071e2.png) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33296:34-years-after-camp-laurel-began-for-kids-with-hiv-its-first-campers-return-with-children-of-their-own&catid=380)### [34 Years After Camp Laurel Began for Kids With HIV, Its First Campers Return With Children of Their Own](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33296:34-years-after-camp-laurel-began-for-kids-with-hiv-its-first-campers-return-with-children-of-their-own&catid=380)

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Mar-2026/025h.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32477:attacks-on-transgender-women-are-part-of-a-larger-maga-agenda&catid=380)### [Attacks on Transgender Women Are Part of a Larger MAGA Agenda](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32477:attacks-on-transgender-women-are-part-of-a-larger-maga-agenda&catid=380)

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Feb-2026/013r.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32267:pride-flag-returns-to-stonewall-as-new-york-officials-defy-federal-directive&catid=380)### [Pride Flag Returns to Stonewall as New York Officials Defy Federal Directive](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32267:pride-flag-returns-to-stonewall-as-new-york-officials-defy-federal-directive&catid=380)

 [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Feb-2026/012f.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32245:california-lgbtq-community-still-worried-for-transgender-youth&catid=380)### [California LGBTQ Community Still Worried For Transgender Youth](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32245:california-lgbtq-community-still-worried-for-transgender-youth&catid=380)
<div data-id="1" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-emailform eb-1 eboxContentLocker"
	data-options='{"trigger":"onPageLoad","trigger_selector":"","delay":3000,"early_trigger":true,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":1,"reverse_scroll_close":true,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":10000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"slideInDown","animation_close":"fadeOutDown","animation_duration":400,"disable_page_scroll":true,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #1 - Global Email Signup Form","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog eb-formVer" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog1" aria-label="dialog1">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<form action="https://citywatchla.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=34d69f33624fd058ee9b56516&amp;id=4bfa422f51&amp;f_id=00d6c2e1f0" class="eb" method="post" id="mcform-1" name="mcform-1" target="_blank">
			<div class="eb-form-header"><p><img src="/images/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png" alt="be a city watcher" width="350" height="97" loading="lazy" data-path="local-images:/2023/06/be-a-city-watcher.png"></p>
<p>Sign up to receive our special e-news blasts on Monday and Thursday evenings!</p></div>
	
					<div class="eb-field-row">

			
			
			
			<input class="eb-input" type="email" name="EMAIL"  placeholder="Email address"  id="EMAIL" value="" required>

			
		</div>
										
	<div class="eb-footer">
    	<button class="eb-btn" type="submit" name="subscribe" style="background-color:rgba(93, 183, 93, 1);color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 1)">
    		Sign up    	</button>
    </div>
</form>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>
<div data-id="3" 
	class="eb-inst eb-hide eb-yesno eb-3 "
	data-options='{"trigger":"onScrollDepth","trigger_selector":"","delay":0,"early_trigger":false,"scroll_depth":"percentage","scroll_depth_value":80,"firing_frequency":2,"reverse_scroll_close":false,"threshold":0,"close_out_viewport":false,"exit_timer":1000,"idle_time":1000,"close_on_esc":false,"animation_open":"fadeInUp","animation_close":"fadeOut","animation_duration":300,"disable_page_scroll":false,"test_mode":false,"debug":false,"ga_tracking":true,"ga_tracking_id":"G-P16BQ7X1SW","ga_tracking_event_category":"EngageBox","ga_tracking_event_label":"Box #3 - Yes \/ No Donation Popup Box","auto_focus":false}'
	data-type='popup'
	>

	<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-outside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>
	<div class="eb-dialog " role="dialog" aria-modal="true" id="dialog3" aria-label="dialog3">
		
		<button type="button" data-ebox-cmd="close" class="eb-close placement-inside" aria-label="Close">
	<img alt="close popup button" />
	<span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
</button>	
		<div class="eb-container">
						<div class="eb-content">
				
<div class="ebox-yes-no">
	<div class="ebox-yn-text">
		
		
		<div class="ebox-yn-headline" style="font-size:22px;color:#888888">
			<p>If you only give once a month, would you consider giving to CityWatch?</p>
<p>Your support fuels our mission to promote and facilitate civic engagement and neighborhood empowerment, and to hold area government and its politicians accountable.</p>
<p>Would you like to help? Even if you can only give $5, it will make a difference.</p>		</div>
			</div>
	
	<div class="ebox-ys-buttons" style="font-size: 16px;">
		
<a
					data-ebox-prevent="0"
		data-ebox-cmd="close"
				target="_self"
		href="https://www.citywatchla.com/donate"
		rel="noopener"
	
	
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#2ec664;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Yes
	</a>
<a
	
	
			data-ebox-cmd="close"
		href="#"
	
	
	class="ebox-ys-btn"
	style="background-color:#ef2345;color:#ffffff;min-width:100px">
	Not Right Now
	</a>	</div>

	</div>			</div>
		</div>
	</div>	
</div>