‘Don’t say gay’ vs. ‘parental rights': Fact-checking claims about Florida’s HB 1557

Florida classrooms have become a site of regular battles in the culture wars. The most recent fight is over sexual orientation and gender identity.

State lawmakers approved a bill that would prohibit classroom instruction on these issues in kindergarten through third grade. HB 1557 awaits the signature of Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who has stood up for the bill as it has come under criticism from Walt Disney World, LGBTQ activists, the Biden White House and "Saturday Night Live."

Supporters hailed the need for parents, and not teachers, to have control over such discussions, part of a broader push to control the content of classroom lessons. But critics nicknamed HB 1557 the "don’t say gay" bill, warning it isn’t necessary and makes some students feel unsafe by singling out LGBTQ material as dangerous and inappropriate.