Some students, like Will, are changing the status quo one class at a time. “It was the idea that something like this could pass and students like them would not be able to have a safe space that they could express themselves, because they couldn’t do that at home,” Young said. When Echo first heard that Florida’s new law was on its way to passing, they were distraught.
We can’t just live a peaceful existence, because there’s always going to be people questioning us, making jokes, making threats.” “We can’t just exist and not talk about it. “They said, in their words, ‘No one cares if you’re gay, just stop talking about it,’” Echo said. In April, a student in one of Echo’s classes criticized how much LGBTQ+ people have been speaking out about Florida’s new law. Sometimes, students make comments that alienate Echo. Youth in the South reported higher rates of mental health issues and less access to affirming spaces compared to their peers in other regions of the country, the survey found. Winter Park High sits in a region that is less welcoming than other parts of the country to gay, lesbian and transgender youth, according to a 2021 survey by the Trevor Project, an advocacy and support organization. It’s unclear if the newly enacted law will affect those plans. The students agreed they wanted to see more history lessons on the gay rights movement and presentations on why jokes about LGBTQ people are hurtful. “What problems in the school can Queer Student Union solve, and what should we do as a club to keep engaging and be useful?” Will asked the group. Will closed the meeting with ideas for next year.
They have run voter registration drives, put up posters that say “Being gay is NOT a choice,” and they’ve been meeting with administrators to find ways to prevent bullying in school bathrooms. Since the Queer Student Union was formed in November of 2021, its members have tried to bring visibility to LGBTQ issues. Members of the Queer Student Union were in elementary and middle school when it happened. The school is also less than 10 miles from PULSE, a gay night club where 49 people were murdered in what was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S.
“I think it will affect the kids feeling that it means something is wrong with them.” “At the high school level, I think it will create anxiety and maybe hesitancy by staff to have some of the open conversations that they may have,” said Dawn Young, who is the advisor for the Queer Student Union and a mentor for students. Though the measure specifically targets curriculum and discussion in K-3 classrooms, some educators and advocates worry it could also cut LGBTQ kids in higher grades off from support. Opponents say it will have a chilling effect. Proponents say the law ensures parents are in charge of what their children learn about sensitive topics. The measure the students protested, formally known as the “Parental Rights in Education” law, bans instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation from kindergarten through third grade, as well as instruction that is not age- and developmentally appropriate at all grade levels. Now, its members have found themselves on the front lines of Florida’s ongoing attempt to restrict what can be talked about at school. “I totally felt like 50 people would show up,” Will said.Ī year ago, Winter Park High’s Queer Student Union didn’t exist. What shocked them was just how many students actually joined them in a show of solidarity. That act wasn’t surprising, a Queer Student Union member said. On the fringes of the crowd, a teenager danced across a rainbow flag that had been tossed in the dirt. But not all the students showed up in support.