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​Anti-LGBTQ+ groups in Florida urge legislators to extend preferred pronoun ban to city, county governments

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Wilton Manors, FL, USA. Jun 17, 23: Stonewall Pride Parade Street Festival in Wilton Manors. Stonewall Pride celebrates the historic Stonewall Riots and the start of the LGBT+ human rights movement.

Could Florida enforce a 'don't say they' rule for local governments?


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A conservative group wants the Florida Legislature to outlaw local governments from respecting preferred pronouns. It’s a move critics are already calling a “don’t say they” policy.

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John Labriola, a lobbyist for Christian Family Coalition Florida, urged state lawmakers at a delegation meeting in the Ocala area to extend a prohibition on pronoun use in schools to all city and county governments. The state already has restrictions stopping teachers from using pronouns that don’t allow align with the gender assigned at birth.

A judge blocked Florida from enforcing that law following a lawsuit by trans teacher Katie Wood. But that hasn’t stopped activists from urging the state extend the reach of the rules.

Fabriola at the delegation meeting said such legislation stopping the “imposition of gender ideology” would be the group’s top priority in the upcoming legislative session.

“This is an area where individuals who work for city and county governments their religious liberties and also their freedom of speech is being curtailed by employers who impose gender ideology,” Fabriola said.

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Fabriola identified several majority-Democratic counties that he alleged were aggressively targeting employees who refuse to honor preferred pronouns. He doesn’t want local governments “mandating of the use of preferred pronouns. He wants legislation ensuring employees if they “would rather use the person's actual pronoun” would not be punished or fired.”

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Of note, the Florida law regarding schools led to trans teachers being fired for asking that preferred pronouns be used, meaning the legislation exposed those government employees to termination.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the nation’s first “don’t say gay” bill, which prohibits instruction now through 12th grade about sexual orientation and gender identity. It was an Ocala area lawmaker who proposed that legislation. Another lawmaker from the same area, Rep. Ryan Chamberlain, filed a bill last year that would have prohibited any contractor or organization receiving state funding from considering gender identity or sexual orientation, but that bill was never ultimately considered by the Legislature.

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