PORTLAND, Maine — By now, you’ve probably heard about the “Don’t say gay” bill that seeks to ban classroom discussions about sexual orientation or gender identity with young students in Florida.
Despite an uproar from President Joe Biden, activists, and everyday students walking out of schools in opposition, it’s about to become a law.
Let me start by saying this is not something we usually do. In the past decade, NEWS CENTER Maine has only shared three editorials. As journalists, it is not our job to share our opinions. But it is my job to share the facts.
This law will do nothing more than strengthen our divisions and threaten the well-being of LGBTQ+ kids in Florida and across the country.
It will hurt kids like me, who may not have known what gay was as a third-grader in a small town but knew what it meant to be "different" and somehow "bad."
This law won’t just make it illegal for kids, gay or straight, to learn about what a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or trans person is. It ultimately creates an environment where they learn it’s wrong.
It means a child with gay parents can’t safely talk about their two moms or two dads. Teachers can’t reference their partners. And the identities of some of the most influential people in our country’s history are erased.
But most importantly, it forces kids to live in a world where they cannot be themselves.
In Maine, we’re lucky, in some ways, that our laws surrounding equality for LGBTQ+ people are among some of the strongest in the nation.
In 2019, Maine lawmakers banned conversion therapy in the state.
And while you might not think this Florida law applies here, it does. It sends a message to every young person, from York to Caribou, who already feels like they do not fit the mold, that it’s not OK to live their truth.
I implore you—parents, grandparents, siblings—to understand that alone has an impact you cannot even begin to imagine. One with potentially life-changing consequences.
And for all of you who are struggling to find yourself, please know you are not alone.
I was that kid bullied in the hall, with a label on me I knew would never go away: “gay.” Beyond that label is a person simply wanting to live their life, longing just to be accepted and love.
So, even if your voice trembles, say it. Be yourself. And ultimately, love will always win.