Originally published at: Florida student sues the state over "Don't Say Gay" bill | Boing Boing
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And now this brave kid knows exactly what he needs to do.
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Kids like Moricz are a reminder that time and demographics are not on the side of the fascists and white supremacists and Xtianists. Whatever the principal’s motives or excuses for threatening him, he or she and the district will be facing a lawsuit of their own if the mic is cut.
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It would be neat if he had a portable speaker linked to his phone and when the official mic was cut he just kept talking.
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I don’t mean to be “that guy,” but it is principal.
His principal should reexamine his principles.
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Can’t wait to see the video of the speech.
Hope he can get something like this…
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If hadn’t been, I would have.
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It would, and to expand on that idea imagine the impact if his fellow students would assist him as a Human Microphone.
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Yes! Human microphone! And of course any incident at graduation will be filmed by a thousand cellphones, & only bring more attention to this stupid reprehensible law, which, as the attorney points out, will not even be in effect on graduation day. This young person & the attorney are heroes.
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OK so I’m late to the party and don’t really get this ‘don’t say gay’ law thing.
Are straight people allowed to say they are straight? Does the law constrain that too? Why not?**
So, instead of saying he’s gay is he allowed to say he is not straight?
**(Dumb question, I know - the answer will be “because fuckwit GOP bigotry” if it is the case that only straight people can proclaim their sexual preferences.)
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These fascists don’t know what shitstorm they have whipped up, but they going to find out.
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I hope local, national, and perhaps even international reporters are on hand to record what this unprincipled principal does when this student gives his speech (assuming it’s being held outside, where cameras and microphones can record the proceedings from a fair distance away.) Would the threat of looking like a bigoted asshole on national TV give the principal pause?
Sadly, I’m guessing probably not.
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Your question isn’t stupid. The law is, and your question helps highlight that. The fact is the law is unconstitutionally vague and doesn’t even define what discussions would or would not be appropriate. It allows parents to decide what they consider appropriate and to sue schools for any perceived violation.
Some people have been sending this or variations of it around as a joke but the law is so ridiculously vague it actually seems serious:
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This is the part that got the law the moniker:
Lines 97-101: 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.
From the NYT coverage of what this means for educators:
The language is vague and subject to interpretation. The preamble of the bill further muddles matters. It prohibits not only “instruction” around gender identity and sexual orientation, but also “classroom discussion” of these topics.
“Classroom instruction” could mean eliminating books in the classroom with L.G.B.T.Q. characters or historical figures. No “classroom discussion” is a broad phrase, and could mean that teachers with a student with gay parents should not talk about those families with the entire class.
Though, the times coverage is really fucked up, since actually, nowhere in the law does it say “gay.” So really, it would mean no discussion of gender identities at all. If we’re following the letter of the law.
And in case anyone hasn’t seen it, here’s an alleged “template letter” one teacher sent around for other teachers to send home with kids, laying out the implications of the law as written:
Teacher tr0lling the tr0lls for the win.
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Malicious compliance is a useful tool when faced with fascism.
It’s Section 28, except for Florida.
We’ve already lived through this bullshit once in Britain, and we have arseholes who are desperate to reintroduce it. We should be paying attention in case it happens here.
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DeSatan and his gang of dupes are constantly squealing “IT’S NOT THE DON’T SAY GAY BILL!”, and then this kid’s principal says that he’ll be punished if he says GAY. The hypocrisy is deep.
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We have those available for presenters doing events here in our library. They work rather well!
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Pretty clear cut case of a government banning speech.
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Yep, and Moricz should take a couple bullhorns with him for backup.
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I’m guessing the principal (neither prince nor pal) will cancel the entire graduation (for everyone) & blame it on the kid.
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