Florida’s Hypocritical Stance On Teaching Gender And Sexuality In Schools
Under Florida’s Don’t Say Gay law, gender identity and sexual orientation are purportedly banned from being taught in schools. Despite this, Florida is teaching kids about traditional gender identities and heteronormative relationships.
One of the recent classes cut due to the conservative law is AP Psychology as it makes mentions of gender and sexuality. One TikTok user named Matt Bernstein took issue with the proposed ban and provided us with a look at what is still being taught in Florida schools despite the law.
“Prepare to be a wife or a mother”
Despite Florida’s Don’t Say Gay law restricting lesson plans that discuss topics of sexual orientation and gender identity, Matt Bernstein shows instructional videos that are permitted in Florida. These videos are provided by an institution called PragerU (Prager University) which demonstrate how to “embrace femininity” or “embrace masculinity”.
After visiting the PragerU website and locating the two videos in question, the advice given is staunchly traditionalist and reiterates age-old gender stereotypes. For girls, PragerU suggests smiling more, dressing appropriately to not attract the wrong kind of attention, making yourself pretty by mastering the art of makeup and, of course, preparing oneself to be a wife or a mother.
For boys, PragerU suggests you “grow up, and be a man”. Literally. The other tips are to become independent, be strong, fight your fears and be a gentleman. All tips (bar the last) would benefit women just as well.
These videos are jarring, to say the least, and what’s more concerning than them being aimed towards children is their approval in Florida classrooms. PragerU, despite having “university” in their name, are not an educational facility. They are an advocacy group and media organisation promoting conservative politics.
TikToker Matt Bernstein calls out Florida’s Department of Education board for allowing PragerU’s videos to be taught in classrooms considering the Don’t Say Gay law ostensibly bans all discussions of gender identity. “I just want to point out, this is gender ideology, right?” Bernstein references the copious stereotypes of gender in the instructional videos.
“Why do we have to tell 11-year-old girls to ’embrace the idea of being a wife and mother’? If gender stereotypes are so natural, then why do we need schools to systematically enforce them? And to tell young girls that the best thing that they have to offer is a smile.”
