How a state spreads fear, lies and hate

As a proud Republican and Donald Trump supporter, I’m disappointed and saddened that Florida passed the “Don’t say gay” bill with the support of our governor.

Ignorance and lack of education about the LGBTQ+ community encourages misinformation and hate. I’d like to provide a few facts supported by 140 pediatric organizations across the U.S., including the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Fact 1: Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community does not make you contagious, and they are definitely not “groomers.” Providing education about gay or transgender people does not “make you” gay or transgender. Gender and sexual identity are not learned. They are innate, like hand dominance. If a child is born as a left-hander, they do not infect their left hand dominance with other kids and force them to write left-handed.

Fact 2: Your brain tells you if you are transgender — not your sex organs. For many people, their sex organs and body matches their gender identity (cisgender), but for others, this is not true. When did you first know your gender? My guess is, you can’t recall. You knew. This bill targets a specific age group and sends a clear message to children that they are not loved, accepted and supported.

Fact 3: Tens of thousands of gay and lesbian parents in our state raise children in loving families. In school, they will be asked to talk about and draw pictures of their loved ones. What message are we sending to these kids when we ask them to share their family story? Will teachers not have them talk about their family out of fear that parents will report them?

Take time to educate yourself about this vulnerable community. Suicide rates are extremely high among LGBTQ+ kids and teens, but studies show if they are accepted, supported and loved by their families and communities, their risk for suicide is similar to heterosexuals and cisgender people. Unfortunately, our state government spends too much time and money spreading fear, lies and hate.

We can do better than this. This should not be a political issue. Rather, it is a human issue. The LGBTQ+ community cannot be erased.

Ellen Silverman, Boca Raton