BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS DO GO ON HERE. AND THIS SENATE IS AND HOUSE
MADE OR NEGOTIATING THROUGH THE
WEEKEND.
GLENNA ONE MOST DWES DIVISIVE
BILLS IN SESSION IS GOING TO GO
TO SENATE FLOOR TOMORROW.
IT’S GOAL IS TO ENSURE THE
RIGHTS OF PARENTS TO HAVE AT
FINAL SAY IN THEIR KIDS’
EDUCATION PREVENT SCHOOLS FROM
TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT SEXUAL
ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY
IN THE EARLY GRADES.
>> THAT IS WHAT LED OPPONENTS OF
THAT BILL TO DUB THE BILL DON’T
SAY GAY AND THERE WERE SO MANY
PROTEST
PROTESTS, CROWDS OF PEOPLE SO
MANY PEOPLE WHO WENT INTO
COMMITTEE MEETING PLEADING WITH
LAWMAKERS TO OPPOSE THE BILL.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOE HARDING
OF WILLIS SON IS REPUBLICAN IN
THE HOUSE THAT SHEPARDED THE
PARENTS’ RIGHTS IN EDUCATION
BILL THROUGH THAT THE HOUSE AND
THE HOUSE DID APPROVE IT.
IT WILL BE NOW GOING TO THE
SENATE THIS WEEK.
AND REPRESENTATIVE HARDING JOINS
US TO TALK ABOUT THE BILL, WHAT
IT IS, WHAT IT ISN’T AND WHAT WE
CAN EXPECT.
REPRESENTATIVE HARDING IT SO
GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> SO THE ESSENCE OF THE BILL,
IF YOU READ IT, AND PEOPLE NEED
TO READ THIS BILL TO SEE WHAT IT
DOES AND DOESN’T DO.
ESSENCE IS PARENTS’ RIGHTS.
PARENTS HAVING THE SAY AND THE
SAY OR NOT ON WHAT THEIR
CHILDREN ARE LEARNING IN SCHOOL.
AND YET IT TALKS ABOUT
SPECIFICALLY SEXUAL ORIENTATION
AND GENDER.
AND THAT KIND OF CONVERSATION
AND CURRICULUM THAT MAY NOT BE
HAD IN K-3.
I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION TO YOU
IS PRACTICALLY SPEAKING IS THIS
BILL EVEN NECESSARY?
DOES THAT KIND OF CONTROVERSY
EVEN HAPPEN?
>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME
ON AGAIN.
AND YES.
THE REASON THAT THE BILL EXISTS
IS BECAUSE WE’VE HAD SPECIFIC
EXAMPLES WHERE THIS TYPE OF
INSTRUCTION HAS HAPPENED IN
FLORIDA SCHOOLS.
AND IT DOESN’T TAKE, YOU DON’T
HAVE TO GO VERY FAR TO JUST
START LISTENING TO LOCAL SCHOOL
BOARD MEETINGS IN SOME COUNTIES,
EVEN IN COUNTIES LIKE PALM BEACH
COUNTY WHERE THEY HAD AN ISSUE
WITH THIS.
BUT YES, THIS THIS HAS BEEN AN
ISSUE WHERE THERE HAS BEEN
INSTRUCTION AS YOUNG AS
KINDERGARTEN ON TEACHING GENDER
THEORY AND GENDER IDENTITY.
AND SO THE REASON THAT’S PART OF
THE BILL IS THAT THE OVERALL
BILL IS ABOUT EMPOWERING
PARENTS, ABOUT CRITICAL
DECISIONS SHOULDN’T HAPPEN
WITHOUT A PARENT KNOWING AND AT
THE SAME TIME WE ADDRESS THIS
ISSUE SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THIS
ISSUE HAS OCCURRED IN OUR
SCHOOLS.
>> YEAH.
REPRESENTATIVE HARDING IT’S
MICHAEL PUTNEY IN MIAMI.
THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US TODAY.
YOU KNOW THE NOTCH AGAINST YOU
AND YOUR BILL IS THAT IT SAID TO
BE DISCRIMINATORY AGAINST THE
LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
DO YOU DISCRIMINATE IN THIS BILL
AGAINST THEM?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
WHAT WE’RE DOING IS EMPOWERING
PARENTS AT THE SAME TIME AS
SAYING THEIR SOME INSTRUCTION
THAT’S NOT GENDER, THAT’S NOT
APPROPRIATE AT CERTAIN AGES.
TEACH
TEACHING AND HAVING A STANDARD
OF WHAT IS APPROPRIATE DOES NOT
DISCRIMINATE.
IN FACT WHAT IT DOES DO IT GIVES
SOME GUARDRAILS TO TEACHERS SO
TEACHERS UNDERSTAND WHAT
EXPECTED.
SOME GUARDRAILS TO THE DISTRICT.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, EMPOWER
THE PARENTS WHETHER THE PARENTS
ARE GAY PARENTS, WHERE THE
PARENTS ARE HETEROSEXUAL
PARENTS.
PARENTS NEED TO BE ENGAGE
REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY LOOK
LIKE
>> SO REPRESENTATIVE, HERE IN
TALLAHASSEE, NOT ONLY IN
COMMITTEES BUT PROTEST THAT IS
WE’VE SEEN ON ALMOST DAILY
SOMEWHERE, YOU’VE HEARD
COUNTLESS PEOPLE REALLY BEARING
SOME REALLY PERSONAL PAIN ABOUT
HOW THEY’VE BEEN DISCRIMINATED
AGAINST.
YOU’VE HEARD SOME REAL FEAR
ABOUT WHAT MAY HAPPEN IF THIS
BILL BECOMES LAW.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU THINK YOU
AGREE WITH THAT OR YOU THINK
THAT’S OFF BASE, YOU’RE SEEN
THIS PRETTY SINCERE OUT POURING
HOW DO YOU HEAR THAT?
ARE YOU AFFECTED BY THAT ONE WAY
OR THE OTHER?
WHAT DO YOU ANSWER TO THAT?
>> THERE’S TWO PARTS.
I HEAR IT.
NUMBER ONE I FEEL BAD FOR THOSE
KIDS BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING LIED
TO.
THEY ARE BEING LIED TO BY
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS THAT
WORDS LIKE EQUALITY AND WORDS
LIKE THAT THEIR TITLE THAT USING
THEM A POLITICAL PAWN TO FURTHER
THEIR AGENDA AT WHICH LEADS TO
SOCIAL MEDIA CLICKS MEDIA
OUTRAGE, WE’VE SEEN DOZENS AND
DOZENS OF STORIES.
LAST NIGHT WE SAW ON SATURDAY
NIGHT LIVE THAT HAD NO TRUTH IN
IT WHATSOEVER, YOU KNOW EVEN ANY
JOURNALIST COULD PICK APART
THEIR SKIT AND HUNDRED BASED IT
WAS.
SO NUMBER ONE I FEEL SORRY FOR
KIDS THAT ARE BEING USED
POLITICAL PLOY BY GROUPS THAT
HAVE A NAME THAT SAYS THAT THEY
ARE THERE TO HELP THEM BUT THEY
ARE NOT.
NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER 2 AS A PARENT, IT WAKES
ME UP TO THE CONCERN THAT IS I
HAVE ON OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO VERY FAR TO
LOOK SOME PICTURES AND VIDEO
THAT IS YOU CAME OUT CAPITOL
THIS WEEK AND HEAR THE WORDS
THAT SOME OF THESE STUDENTS WERE
SAYING WHERE THEY WERE CUSSING
LAWMAKERS IN A PUBLIC BUILDING
THAT WE SHOULD RESPECT THE
PROCESS.
WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
AND WHEN WE SEE ADULTS THAT ARE
PART OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT
ARE THERE WITH THOSE STUDENTS DO
NOTHING TO STOP IT, WE WATCH
LAWMAKERS PARTICIPATE WITH THEM
AND DO NOTHING TO SAY HEY THIS
ISN’T APPROPRIATE THE LANGUAGE
YOU’RE USING ISN’T APPROPRIATE.
THAT SHOULD WAKE US UP PARENTS
TOO.
OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT TYPE
OF BEHAVIOR IS DEEMED ACCEPTABLE
THAT WE’RE NOT, THAT THAT SHOULD
WAN ALARM BELL FOR US AT THE
SAME TIME.
NUMBER ONE IS, YOU KNOW, SORRY,
THESE KIDS ARE BEING USED FOR
FURTHER THEIR OWN AGENDA, AT THE
SAME TIME AS PARENTS WE GOT TO
WAKE UP TO WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT
TO OUR KIDS, WHERE IT IS THE
DEEMED ACCEPTABLE FOR MINORS TO
USE CUSS WORDS AT OUR GOVERNOR
YOU KNOW WHETHER YOU LIKE HIM OR
NOT.
THAT NOT APPROPRIATE FOR
CHILDREN.
>> REPRESENTATIVE WE’RE KIND OF
EXCUSE ME WE’RE KIND OF GETTING
INTO THE WEEDS HERE.
I WOULD POINT OUT THAT, SATURDAY
NIGHT LIVE DEALS IN SATIRE.
WE’RE DEALING HERE IN FACTS AND
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND YOUR BILL.
DURING THE COURSE OF THE
LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS, DOZENS OF
PEOPLE CAME UP AND TESTIFIED
INCLUDING MANY YOUNG MEN AND
WOMEN WHO SAID WHEN I WAS IN HAS
GRADE SCHOOL OR HIGH SCHOOL OR
MIDDLE SCHOOL ICON IF I HADDED
MY SEXUAL ORIENTATION, MY
CONFUSION ABOUT MY IDENTITY TO A
TEACH OTHER ARE COUNSELOR AND
THEY SAVED MY LIFE.
THE FACT THAT I COULD TALK ABOUT
IT AT SCHOOL BECAUSE I COULDN’T
TALK ABOUT IT AT HOMEMADE IT A
HUGE DIFFERENCE TO ME.
NOW IF THIS BILL PASSES, THE
ABILITY OF THOSE YOUNG MEN AND
WOMEN TO DO THAT WILL BE
LIMITED, WON’T IT?
>> NO.
NO.
NO NOWHERE IN BILL LIMITING YOUR
CONVERSATION.
ALL WE SAY IS IN THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT IS GOING TO MAKE
CRITICAL DECISIONS BASED ON
CHANGING A NAME OF A STUDENT,
CHANGING IDENTITY OF A STUDENT,
A THAT POINT THEY NEED TO GET
THE PARENT INVOLVED.
THERE’S ALSO A SAFETY VALVE IN
BILL WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THAT
IF, IF THERE’S REASONABLE PERSON
THAT BELIEVES THAT THIS COULD DO
HARM TO STUDENT THEN WE HAVE A
PROCESS FOR THAT WHICH ALREADY
EXISTED IN STATE STATUTE.
AND OUR BILL JUST CLARIFIES THAT
STILL EXISTS.
AND SO, NOWHERE IN THE BILL DO
WE LIMIT THEM BEING ABLE TO
CONFIDE TO SOMEONE AT THE
SCHOOL.
THAT BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION OF
BILL AND JUST NOT, NOT IN THE
WORDS ON THE PAGE.
>> SO REPRESENTATIVE, LET ME
PICK UP ON THAT WITH SPECIFIC
CASE A MOTHER WHO HAD TESTIFIED
HERE SHE’S ACTUALLY INVOLVED
LAWSUIT AGAINST HER SCHOOL
DISTRICT BECAUSE HER TRANS
DAUGHTER HAS KOURMS AT THE
SCHOOL THAT KEPT ALL OF THAT
FROM THIS MOTHER.
AT THE DAUGHTER’S REQUEST, AND
SO, THE SCHOOL IS IN THAT CASE I
SUPPOSE WOULD BE KEEPING A
STUDENT’S PRIVACY AT THE
STUDENT’S REQUEST BUT FROM HER
PARENTS WHO OBVIOUSLY THIS YOU
KNOW THIS WOMAN THOUGHT HER
PARENTS WOULD NOT ACCEPTING AND
MAYBE FEAR THE CONSEQUENCES.
SO AS, HARD AS THAT IS ON A
PARENT, AND IN OUR HEARTS GO OUT
TO THIS MOTHER WHO DIDN’T KNOW
THESE THINGS GOING ON, IS THERE
A WAY FOR STUDENTS WHO DO WANT
TO KEEP PRIVATE FROM THEIR
PARENTS FOR WHATEVER THOSE
REASONS MIGHT BE.
DOES THAT BILL ALLOW THAT TO
HAPPEN?
IS
HAPPEN? IS >> AND IN THAT SPECIFIC EXAMPLE
THAT’S SIMPLY JUST NOT REPORT
YOU JUST GAVE US SIMPLE NOT
FACTS OF THAT STORY YOU LISTEN
TOTEM.
THE MOTHER KNEW THAT THE
DAUGHTER WAS HAVING A QUESTIONS
ON HER GENDER AND ON HER SEXUAL
ORIENTATION.
SHE KNEW THAT MOTHER REACHED WHO
IS BY WAY A MENTAL HEALTH
COUNSELOR FOR A LIVING.
REACHED OUT TO SCHOOL DISTRICT
AND SAID HEY, THIS GOING ON
WE’RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH
OUR DAUGHTER, WE WANT YOU TO
KNOW THIS IS HAPPENING.
THIS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DECIDED
TO TAKE IT ON ITSELF TO MEET
WITH THIS MINOR, 12-YEAR-OLD
GIRL WITH THREE ADULTS, EXCLUDE
THE PARENTS AND MAKE THE
DECISIONS WHETHER WE SAY THAT
THE MINOR MADE THE DECISION OR
NOT, IF YOU PUT MY CHILD IN ROOM
WITH THREE ADULTS, I CAN
PROBABLE GET THAT CHILD TO SAY
OR AGREE TO ALMOST ANYTHING.
I MEAN THAT’S JUST REALITY.
AND THAT MEETING HAPPENED.
AND THE MOTHER OF THAT DAUGHTER
WHO WAS ON THE RECORD WHO SAID
THIS, SHE’S THE ONE THAT TALKED
TO SCHOOL DISTRICT FIRST.
SCHOOL DISTRICT DID THIS.
SO THAT, THAT TYPE OF REPORTING
THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS
TRYING TO HELP THE DAUGHTER AND
DAUGHTER WAS LOOKING FOR HELP
THAT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE SCHOOL
DISTRICT REACHED OUT TO DAUGHTER
AFTER CONVERSATION THE MOTHER
HAD.
>> OKAY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO -- MAY I
JUST FOLLOW-UP ON THAT?
BECAUSE, THAT, AND THANK YOU FOR
THAT CLARIFICATION.
BUT THE QUESTION REALLY IS IF
THERE IS SUCH AN INSTANCE WHEN A
STUDENT ASKED THE SCHOOL FOR
THEIR PRIVACY AGAINST THEIR
PARENTS, IS THAT AN IWILL YOUED
IN THIS BILL?
WOULD THAT BE LAWFUL IN THIS
BILL IF THAT OCCURRED
>> AGAIN THAT WAS ASKED NUMEROUS
TIMES COMMITTEES THE ANSWER IS
RIGHT NOW, UNDER CURRENT FLORIDA
STATUTE, IF A PERSON AT THE
SCHOOL DISTRICT BELIEVES THAT
THE STUDENT WOULD BE BULLIED OR
HARMED AT HOME BECAUSE OF THIS
DISCLOSING SOMETHING TO THE
PARENT, THAT IT IS CURRENTLY
ALLOWED.
AND IN THE BILL WE ACTUALLY
EXPAND THAT.
WE SAY A REASONABLY PRUDENT
PERSON WOULD BELIEF THAT THE
DISCLOSING INFORMATION WOULD
LEAD TO ABUSE OF ABANDONMENT OR
NEGLECT.
IT’S IN OUR BILL THE PROTECTIONS
ARE THERE.
BUT AGAIN, AT THE SAME TIME,
IT’S THE ADULT IN THE ROOM, THE
SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES’ JOB
TO BE THE PERSON THAT UNDERSTAND
JUST BECAUSE A STUDENT SAYS THAT
MY DAD GOING TO BE UPSET MY DAD
WILL BE UPSET IF I GET BAD
GRADES AND AN ADULT HAS TO BE
PERSON THAT UNDERSTANDS, OKAY,
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, WHO THEIR
PARENTS, LET ME THINK ABOUT THAT
I’VE INTERACT ACTED WITH THEM
BEFORE.
THAT’S WHERE AND AGAIN IN THE
BILL OF PROTECTIONS THERE.
AT THE SAME TIME I ENCOURAGE
SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO MAKE SURE
THEY ARE NOT DOING WHAT IS EASY,
WHICH IS JUST TAKING EVERYTHING
THEY HEAR AT FACE VALUE AND A
WITH HOLDING INFORMATION FROM
PARENTS.
WE’RE SEEING THAT HAPPEN IN THE
NUMEROUS AREAS.
THAT’S JUST SIMPLY NOT
ACCEPTABLE.
>> REPRESENTATIVE JOE HARDING WE
ARE SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU ON OUR
PROGRAM.
THANKS FOR PRESENTING YOUR POINT
OF VIEW.