From curricula to library books to teachers themselves, queer expression and education in U.S. public schools are being slowly but surely outlawed. One of the most severe cases of this degeneration of rights is in Florida under the rule of perennial mess Ron DeSantis.
The governor signed what’s likely the country’s most notorious anti-LGBTQ curriculum bill into law last year, commonly referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Related: Florida’s biggest school district decides recognizing LGBTQ history is illegal now
This week, he doubled down on his disdain for LGBTQ+ education of any sort, referring to its inclusion as “indoctrination” and “a political agenda”.
This latest denouncement came after being asked why his administration had rejected the curriculum for an advanced placement African American Studies course.
The offending material? A section on “queer theory”:
Related: Rep. Ritchie Torres destroys Ron DeSantis with one, brutal tweet
“This course on Black History, what’s one of the lessons about? Queer theory!” he exclaims. “Queer theory” is the widely accepted academic name for the field of LGBTQ+ studies, so the way he managed to make it still sound like a slur is kind of amazing.
His next question to the room proved his lack of understanding of both Black and LGBTQ+ people, ignoring the existence of a whole category of humans in one sentence:
“Now who would say that an important part of Black History is ‘queer theory’?” he asks incredulously.
Let’s think for a moment! Would Martin Luther King Jr.’s close advisor Bayard Rustin say so? How about women like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith who helped create the genre of blues music? Do James Baldwin and Audre Lorde not exist in Black History to Florida?
This examination of the intersection of identities and how they interplay in culture and history is exactly the kind of knowledge DeSantis and co. want to keep from the nation’s youth.
“That is somebody pushing an agenda on our kids,” he rails. “When you look to see they have stuff about intersectionality, abolishing prisons — that’s a political agenda. That’s the wrong side of the line for Florida standards.”
Discussing Black history without discussing the way Black people continue to be disproportionately incarcerated seems to also be a big no-no to the governor. Makes sense coming from the governor of the state with the third highest number of inmates in the country.
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“When you try to use Black history to shoehorn in queer theory,” he continues, “you are clearly trying to use that for political purposes.”
Throughout all this attempting to cover up historical figures and contributions, he firmly asserts that he’s still here for “cut-and-dry history”.
“You learn all the basics, you learn about the great figures,” he contradicts. “I view it as American history. I don’t view it as separate history. We have history of a lot of different shapes and sizes.”
He closes by very vaguely advocating for the teaching of “people that have participated to make the country great and people that have stood up when it wasn’t easy.” The unabridged facts of who stood up and against what aren’t as important to him as making sure the LGBTQ+ community isn’t among them.
swamp king – Florida flop Ron DeSantis manages to show off anti-Blackness and queerphobia in one sentence
Scottie's Playtime 
Hi Scottie;
Some of the sourest and vilest words I can imagine will soon flow from my mouth, as I choke back the vomit to utter in the most embarrassed moment of my life… DeSantis will likely become our next president.
Articles like this seem the most logical and direct manner of showing what a horrible fraudulent attempt of a human being this guy is, but his base thinks he’s great not despite of what he does but because of them! The idea that post-highschool bully stunts like sending desperate people off on a busride – otherwise known as human trafficking… The idea that causing your state and specifically a county there-in to absorb crushing debt because you don’t like to be disagreed with on a political matter… The abuse of children for political expediency because he thinks they are a minority that is powerless and inconsequential… The refusal to accept that there are more than cis white people in the world who are great humans and worthy of the same respect that any NORMAL person would give another… The idea that limiting and skewing the education of the public school, to willingly abuse the trust that they receive the best and most complete education, so to support his own racism and phobia… These are all things that ring true in the worst of our population, cowardly crowding behind the bully and cheering on as he abuses someone because they are a: too afraid to do it themselves and b: afraid it will be them that gets bullied next if they don’t suck up to the bully. And in doing so, they willingly suffer the actions of the bully as he destroys things like social security, medicare, retirement before death, conservation of the wilderness and environment, healthcare and the economic health of anyone not a multi-millionaire.
It is sad to realize that for so many in the country they don’t care about being the better person, only the vindictive one. DeSantis is the heir-apparent to the utter failure of Trump, taking over the “deplorables” and it is my horrid fear that he will succeed.
The thing about bullies, they rarely affect the true adult. And, that is what we need the Democrats to be: the true adult in the room that cares nothing for the antics of the cowards and bullies because, quite frankly, reality remains despite the unwillingness of many to accept it and there is work to do. Will the Democrats have the foresight to call the bully and opportunists out or will they refuse to allow that though mistakes have been made they were made by people who are actually doing something rather than acting the ass? I refer to a meme recently sent to me reminding me that those who rock the boat are only able to do so because they aren’t actually pulling on an oar. Seriously, until the fools that follow idiots like trump and his wanna-be’s grow up, they are voters…. and there I am with a sour stomach again.
Damn, I’m long winded. 😦
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I identity with your bile as I repeat your remark: DeSantis will likely become our next president.
While he does have considerable support, I’m not sure ALL Republicans are in lockstep. There really are some Republican folk who have a head on their shoulders. But the thing is if he DOES get the nomination, the Democrats need to put SOMEONE up against him that can do battle. And I don’t think Biden is the one. In fact, I think DeSantis would walk all over him.
What we need is a FIRECRACKER Democratic candidate that can take the crap that DeSantis throws out there and shred it to pieces.
But alas. I fear Biden will run again and your prophecy may very well come true.
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This is most excellent-very well spoken/written! I’m right there, too, except the DeSantis likely to be the next US President. Yes, I believe it’s possible; no, I don’t think it will be, if we the people put in the work to make sure. It’s a big, hard slog, but it needs done to be sure DeS is not the next US President.
There, I was long-winded, too, and on a soapbox! 🗃v
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