TAMPA, Fla. — Florida continues to rebel against the Biden administration’s efforts to protect LGBTQ youth.
This time, it’s all about the federal guidance telling schools their free lunch status could be at risk if they don’t comply with the administration’s interpretation of Title IX on gender discrimination.
Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. told Florida districts to ignore the guidelines, which he argued stretch the definition of discrimination beyond its legal bounds by including gender identity. He warned that following through could lead to violations of state law.
“Specifically, for example, nothing in these guidance documents requires you to give biological males who identify as female access to female bathrooms, locker rooms, or dorms; to assign biological males who identify as female to female rooms on school field trips; or to allow biological males who identify as female to compete on female sports teams,” Diaz wrote.
Gov. Ron DeSantis continued to stir up the issue, claiming without proof that school teachers are “instructed to tell kids” to change genders, Orlando Weekly reports.
Amid all this, schools across Florida are trying to figure out how to implement the state’s new laws regarding the instruction of gender identity and race matters. The Palm Beach County district provided some direction to its teachers this week, WPTV reports.
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