People waving flags & celebrating at the Miami Beach Pride Parade in Florida — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Atomazul
Legislators in Florida have decided to proceed with a bill that would essentially forbid Pride flags from being flown at public buildings and educational institutions.
HB 901 states that “a governmental entity may not erect or display a flag that represents a political viewpoint, including, but not limited to a politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint.”
In the Republican-led House’s subcommittee on constitutional rights, rule of law, and government operations, Reps. David Borrero of Sweetwater and Randy Fine of Brevard County filed the motion, which was voted 9 to 5 on Wednesday along party lines. The State Affairs Committee currently has it.
Lawmakers provide feedback on HB 901
Supporters of the measure claim that it is meant to combat “indoctrination,” particularly in schools and that it has no bearing on flags flown at houses or other private locations.
Republican Representative Doug Bankson, an Apopka representative, stated, “This is something that is bringing us back to the focus of education and not indoctrination,” as reported by the News Service.
Fine, a cosponsor of the bill, stated that he is against “a Hamas flag flying in this (subcommittee) room.”
He stated, “I don’t want the Black Lives Matter flag flying in this room, and I don’t want the ‘Trump for president’ flag flying in this room. They’re not appropriate in this room, they’re not appropriate in our schools, they’re not appropriate in our government buildings.”
According to News Service of Florida reporting, the LGBTQ community has opposed the bill, citing prior anti-LGBTQ laws approved by the Legislature. They contend that it is equivalent to bigotry.
Rep. Dotie Joseph, a Democrat from North Miami Beach, stated, “The problem with this bill is, in addition to the constitutional issues, that it fosters the same kind of intolerance that breeds the violence that makes our communities unsafe.” “And it accomplishes that by focusing on intolerance for culture wars rather than encouraging tolerance.”
“I think we should be fostering communities of inclusion, and I think this bill is moving us backward and not forwards,” stated Democratic Representative Lindsay Cross of St. Petersburg.
Before the 2024 session, 19 pieces of legislation targeting the LGBTQ community were filed.
Before the session began on January 9, 2024, at least 19 measures were filed that either directly or indirectly targeted LGBTQ+ individuals or transgender people in general, as the Tallahassee Democrat has previously documented.
These bills include the following:
Biological Sex HB 1233: Rep. Dean Black, a Republican from Jacksonville, filed a bill that would demand biological sex affidavits for all Floridians obtaining new or renewing driver’s licenses, and it would outlaw the state’s legal recognition of transgender identities.
Gender Identity Employment Practices: HB 599/SB 1382: Introduced by Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, and Rep. Ryan Chamberlin, R-Belleview, the bill expands the reach of “Don’t Say Gay” legislation that forbids companies from providing sexual orientation training or preferred pronouns.
HB 1135/SB 1238: Grooming that is Lewd or Lascivious Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, Rep. Doug Bankson, R-Apopka, and Rep. Taylor Yarkosky, R-Montverde, have introduced proposals that would establish the crime of “lewd or lascivious grooming” and classify it as a second-degree felony. According to the legislation, grooming is defined as “preparing or encouraging a child to engage in sexual activity through overtly sexually themed communication with the child.” Critics of the legislation claim that if they pass into law, they might be weaponized, citing the fact that in Florida, simply being out gay has been likened to grooming.
SB 1780: False Light, Unauthorized Name or Likeness Publication, and Defamation – Sen. Jason Brodeur, a Republican from Lake Mary, introduced this bill, which would deem nearly all claims of homophobia, transphobia, or discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals to be “defamation per se” and subject the accuser to at least $35,000 in penalties. Regardless of what they may have said in public, it offers a variety of safeguards against accusation and assistance in pursuing damages.
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
