Attention people of Southern Florida! Please force State Senators Vern Buchanan and Joe Gruters to vote against the “Don’t Say Gay Bill!” 

 This bill includes multiple horrific stipulations, such as forcing teachers to “out” their students to parents and prohibiting discussions of the LGBTQIA+ community. This autocratic bill is an attempt to repress/shame LGBTQIA+ students, deny representation and diversity within school curriculums, and to further intimidate/stifle educators. Most importantly, this bill will be detrimental to the physical and mental health of students and educators. 

 While this bill has passed in the Florida House of Representatives, not all hope is lost; the bill still needs to be voted on by the state senate before it can become law. Our state senators can vote against this bill, thereby preventing it from becoming law. As the constituents of Southern Florida, our state senators are obligated to represent the wants of our community; and if they defy these wishes, we are obligated to vote them out. 

We, students of Sarasota, are calling on Sarasota State Senators to vote against this bill! This archaic bill attacks the rights and wellbeing of students and staff; we cannot allow this gross injustice to occur. We must demand that all school community members (of every identity) must be protected and we must ensure that our schools are safe for everyone. We must protect every student’s fundamental right to their identity, well-being, and education.  

Please sign! All signatures will go to the senators!