Leer en Español
AFTER HIS running mate, radical leftist Karla Hernandez, was interrupted live on air for lying about Ron DeSantis’ education policy, a video resurfaced on networks in which Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist is corrected live on air by the same journalist regarding the content of the Parental Rights in Education law.
In an interview that aired in June on local ABC10 News’ This Week in South Florida, Crist was asked by reporter Glenna Milberg about his views on the Parental Rights in Education law, criticized and misnamed the “Don’t Say Gay law” by the Democratic left.
In an attempt to carry forward the same narrative as his party, Crist said that the part that bothers him about the law is the part that “talks about LGBTQ” because it would prevent children from receiving attention from school counselors about their sexuality. The reporter had to interrupt him twice to correct his claims.
“The notion that, in our schools, we would make it more difficult to have guidance counselors to be available to help those children, make them feel good about themselves,” Crist said to that effect, but Milberg had to interrupt him because his claim was false.
“Respectfully, that’s not on the bill that I read,” the reporter said, to which a haughty Crist responded, “It’s in the bill I read.”
However, the ex-Republican tried to amend his words after Milberg’s correction. “It says, you know, up to 1st to 3rd grade, it shouldn’t be discussed”
Again, Milberg insisted, “Taught, in the curriculum.”
Crist then tried to take refuge in his status as a lawyer to specify a line in the law stating that teaching about gender identity and sexuality should be done at an appropriate age, but he lied again.
“But then it also adds language -I’m a lawyer- and it says, you know, or up to an appropriate age we don’t want to talk about it either.”
Crist’s claims vs. the text of the law.
The only segment of the Parental Rights in Education Act that talks about sexuality is Section 1, Paragraph C, Item 3, which reads verbatim:
“Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
Nowhere in the law does it prohibit teachers, school counselors or members of public educational institutions from discussing or offering advice to their dismayed students about their sexuality, nor does it prevent classroom discussion of such topics.
As Milberg rightly stated, the law prevents the teaching, the inclusion in the curriculum, of sexualized content, about any sexual orientation and gender identity, until the third grade or until the student reaches an appropriate age.
In fact, as its name implies, the law was drafted to give parents the right to demand the exact content of school curriculum and health plans in public institutions, as well as to give them the opportunity to refuse services they find inappropriate.
Tomás Lugo, journalist and writer. Born in Venezuela and graduated in Social Communication. Has written for international media outlets. Currently living in Colombia // Tomás Lugo, periodista y articulista. Nacido en Venezuela y graduado en Comunicación Social. Ha escrito para medios internacionales. Actualmente reside en Colombia.