It looks like Florida Gov Ron DeSantis may be in another self-made mess. This one comes from the 'Don't Say Gay' law he pushed through the legislature in order to build up his "culture warrior" reputation in anticipation of his all but certain presidential run.
According to The Miami Herald:
The Florida Department of Education could visit a K-8 school in Hernando County as early as Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation into a fifth-grade teacher’s decision to show a Disney movie featuring a gay character in her classroom.
A Florida teacher is under investigation by the state Department of Education after what she believes is a targeted attack by a school board member who took issue with a Disney movie shown in her classroom.At a Hernando County School Board meeting Tuesday, fifth-grade teacher Jenna Barbee alleges school board member Shannon Rodriguez reported her to DOE for showing her students Disney's 2022 movie "Strange World." It's the first Disney movie with an out, gay character. Barbee, a teacher at Winding Waters K-8, said during public comment the Disney movie tied into her students' Earth science lesson and did not have sexually inappropriate content.
The expected visit would be the first time a department official is to visit the school since the investigation’s onset. On Monday, the department confirmed no one from the state had visited the school, “nor has contacted any students” about the movie. Barbee, however, said some students last week were questioned about the event by school administration.. . . Barbee has spoken publicly about the incident and defended her decision, arguing the movie was related to her students’ science lessons and did not have sexually inappropriate content — now a polarizing political issue in the state.
The Parental Rights in Education Act, passed last year and known by critics as “Don’t Say Gay,” prohibits educators from teaching about gender and sexual identity in kindergarten through third grade, and in older grades in cases when the lessons are deemed to be not “age appropriate.” Educators, however, have routinely expressed concern about the law’s vague wording and the subjectivity of deciding what is considered age appropriate.
This video doesn't need much of an introduction because the title is enough. Just be prepared for the most mind-boggling bit of insanity you will probably ever hear. And as hilarious and spooky as this video is, it helps to keep things in perspective. Folks who have no problem in wallowing in the mud pits of ignorance have always existed. They have always allowed themselves to be led by the nose and they have always wreaked havoc. The important thing is not to get discouraged. Accept folks like these folks for what they are because such is life. Yes, they vote and yes they raise hell. But so do we. And we're much better at raising hell.
As disgusting at this picture is, it makes a salient point.
We are always hearing from the transphobic set about how trans women present a danger to cis women in intimate settings such as locker rooms and bathrooms, but this woman in the picture is simply minding her own business. She's not bothering anyone. She's not "sneaking peeks" or any of the ugly things transphobic bigots imply about trans women.
On the contrary, she is the one being harassed. And while some people may give the culprit accolades and plaudits, she is the one actually encouraging women to be harassed. Her behavior is akin to idiots not only physically attacking trans women for using restrooms, but also idiots who harass cis women if they don't fit the stereotypical descriptions of what a woman is supposed to look like.
More to the point, her behavior encourages those actions.
And the harasser, who I refuse to give the respect of acknowledging her name, has done nonsense like this before. To put it nicely, she is a trashy individual who, while running for office, claimed that high schools in her area are accommodating "furries," or students who supposedly "identify" as animals. It was a lie, but I doubt she cared. Just as I doubt she cares about the possible harm she could wreak on all women. Whether the woman she targeted was transgender or not isn't the point. The fact of the matter is that woman should have been left alone. She didn't deserve to be harassed and anyone who claims to want to protect women would know that.
