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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Did Florida ban the word ‘gay’?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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NO

The word "gay" isn't banned throughout the state of Florida.

The Florida legislature did pass a bill earlier this month that prohibits "classroom instruction...on sexual orientation or gender identity" in kindergarten through third grade classrooms. The ban also extends to instruction deemed "not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students." Parents may file lawsuits against school districts over violations.

Given the broad language of the bill, it is unclear what constitutes a violation, with the bill's sponsors declining to provide examples. Advocates say the bill gives parents more control over the upbringing of their children while opponents say it will harm LGBTQ+ youth and cause teachers to omit instruction on a wide range of topics for fear of being sued.

If signed by Florida Governor DeSantis, who has signaled his support, the bill will take effect July 1.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Florida State Senate Parental Rights in Education bill: March 8, 2022 version
NBC Here's what Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill would do, and what it wouldn't do
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.