As of today, February 25th, 2022, the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill has officially passed with a vote of 69-47 in Florida. Additionally Governor Abbott of Texas has begun instructing Child Protective Services to investigate the parents of any child identifying as Trans under the penalty of “child abuse.” None of this is even to mention the atrocities being carried out in Ukraine, Poland, Yemen, Syria, or Somalia. In short, today feels heavy.

I had initially planned to write about “Eating Disorder Awareness Week,” which it currently is & my personal struggles with body dysmorphia & vilifying certain foods but I felt called to write less about my personal experiences & more in regards to current events. Plus for those of you reading this that answered my poll, this topic won out by a long shot.

Let’s tackle Florida first shall we?

Don’t Say Gay or HB 1557, a bill proposed by Florida Representative, Joe Harding & backed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (boo, hiss), is a bill that prohibits the educating of students on all topics LGBTQ. The bill specifically outlines the complete illegality of discussing anything even remotely LGBTQ with children grades three & younger; including acknowledging their LGBTQ parents & limits the discussion of LGBTQ history or ideas in older classrooms based on whether or not it is deemed appropriate, something entirely up for the Florida Board of Education to decide. The bill also completely limits a teachers ability to be a mentor to any student struggling with the acceptance of their own gender identity or sexuality & was originally set to include a requirement for the “outing” of any student confiding in a teacher to their parents or guardians within six week of them learning of it. Luckily, that last bit didn’t pass.

Moreover, this bill further stigmatizes LGBTQ individuals & creates massive divides between the normalcy of who they are & what the Florida government qualifies as normal. It ostracizes any individual already struggling with the confusion of adolescence & sequesters them to the possibilities of further hopelessness or feelings that they are other than or not worthy of being recognized by society. The bill not only alienates but outwardly discriminates against the freedom these youths should have for self expression & throws a major wrench in the quintessential years that lead to understanding of who they are.

This time in each of our lives is pivotal not only where identity is concerned but also in the foundations of mental health. According to a recent survey conducted by the Trevor Project an average of 42% of LGBTQ youth have seriously considered taking their own lives or have actively attempted to do so. More than half of all nonbinary & trans identify youth have stated the same. Those who identify as LBGTQ also have much higher rates of depression & anxiety, primarily linked to feelings of isolation, repression, & lack of self worth.

Let’s set statistics aside for a second & do a bit of imagining shall we? Imagine the script has been flipped. Imagine instead of LGBTQ students being targeted it’s those who identify as CIS/Hetero. Imagine not being able to talk about your straight parents or relatives. Imagine not being able to express your romantic feelings, your attractions, etc. Imagine not being able to identify as He/Him/His or She/Her/Hers or even discuss the omission. Imagine not being able to consume any media, books, educational films, etc., that featured anything remotely CIS/Hetero. Imagine not being able to learn about important historical figures who were straight or binary. Do you get it now?

This bill is not endemic to Florida alone. There are currently as many as 20 states with anti-LGBTQ curriculum bills in the US & that number is growing rapidly. LGBTQ hate crimes are also on the rise & in the wake of Pulse, the second largest mass shooting in US history, you would think Florida, specifically, would have wised up by now. The argument being made here is that “parents must have a seat at the table for what’s going on in schools” & I personally couldn't disagree more. I’m elated, no offense M&D, that my parents didn’t have a direct say in what I learned in school.

Now. Texas. Ooooooh Texas, what shall we do with you?….

On Tuesday Governor Abbott, the bag of slimy, pustulated dog shit that he is (that’s not an opinion, it’s factual), announced that he will be calling for all licensed officials & members of the general public to report parents of transgender minors so that the state can investigate them for child abuse. Child. Abuse. The radical transphobic move is not a first for Abbott who last year failed to pass legislation making it a felony for physicians, doctors, therapists, & teacher to provide gender affirming care to minors. The bill would have filed felony charges under the physical & sexual abuse categories. Under the current orders not only will child abuse charges be inflicted upon the parents & guardians of trans youth but also any doctor, nurse, teacher, therapists, etc. who refused to report a child’s gender affirming parents.

Five district attorneys have already spoken out in defiance of the order, refusing to prosecute those who are reported. DA’s cite the unconstitutional nature of the bill as well as HIPAA as their reasonings aside from the blatant discrimination happening here.

Trans activists within the state say they are beginning to fear Abbott’s personal trans-phobic tendencies are leaking into the general public & reverting years of progress. They also fear that the rhetoric being presented to non-gender conforming minors it that the Texas government would rather see them dead than recognize them for who they truly really are.

I know this week’s blog was full of a lot of heavy stuff, but I felt it was important. We can’t ignore the issues of the marginalized just because they don’t effect us or play into our personal lives. We have to stop electing officials who paint targets on the backs of minorities simply because of their own misgivings & embrace a society that allows ample opportunity for love & acceptance to all of its citizens, not just those it has personally labeled as desirable.

I hope you each have a great weekend, I know things seem bleak right now but it’s worth fighting for a better world. Persevere on, treat one another with kindness & empathy, make new friends & acquaintances who live completely different lives from you, listen to them, put yourself in their shoes!

Much love to you all,