Editorial: Storm clouds engulf Florida

The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Garfield said that he had talked with the film’s producer about exploring the character’s sexuality on film.“I was kind of joking, but kind of not joking about MJ (Spider-Man’s love interest),” he told Entertainment Weekly. “What if MJ is a dude? Why can’t we discover that Peter is exploring his sexuality? It’s hardly even groundbreaking! So why can’t he be gay? Why can’t he be into boys.”But while Garfield’s subsequent comment that Spider-Man should represent everybody got him a standing ovation at a Comic-Con panel, he also said that “it wouldn’t make sense” to suddenly make the superhero gay.

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Better Nate Than Ever star Rueby Wood opened up about the film’s inspirational message in a new interview. 

In early January of 2022, one Texas school district superintendent truly dedicated himself to the anti-LGBTQ movement sweeping across American state legislatures, directing librarians in the district to permanently remove roughly 130 books from their shelves — over 75 percent of which contained LGBTQ characters or themes.Granbury Independent School District Superintendent Jeremy Glenn gave the order during a confidential meeting with district librarians held on January 10.A recording of the meeting obtained by NBC News, ProPublica, and The Texas Tribune revealed the contents of the meeting and the reasoning behind his directive. Glenn, following in line with the arguments many Texas officials have made when banning books, told the librarians he didn’t want kids “reading about how to hook up sexually in our libraries,” whether the book was “about homosexuality or heterosexuality.”His comments in the meeting went much further — and were much more explicitly hateful — than that argument.

The bar for “gay icon” status has dropped alarming low, at least according to the Log Cabin Republicans.In a piece appearing on the group’s blog Outspoken, writer David Leatherwood extols Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press secretary, calling her a gay icon for equating opponents of the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill to pedophiles.“Serving as Press Secretary for America’s favorite Governor, Daddy DeSantis, Pushaw has cemented herself as a gay icon overnight and we are here for all of it,” Leatherwood wrote.“Earlier this week, leftist gays stormed the Florida Capitol building in the Gay Insurrection of 2022.

ABC News/Ipsos, found that 62 percent of respondents oppose legislation that bans teaching about gender identity or sexual orientation to younger children, while just 37 percent support it.The poll found that attitudes toward such laws differed across party lines. Sixty-two percent of Republican voters said they support such legislation, while only 20 percent of Democrats and 35 percent of independents agreed.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has denounced Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill in a new social media statement.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek finally apologised to the LGBTQ+ employees after the recent ‘Don’t Say Gill’ bill backlash.

Disney pulling political donations due to Florida's new "Don't Say Gay" legislation, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Núñez on Friday claimed that companies "have no right to criticize" the state's action.Making an appearance on Fox News' The Ingraham Angle, Núñez derided Disney's decision as "woke" and likened it to bullying while also claiming that such companies do not have the right to critique the actions of "duly elected legislators" despite explicit First Amendment protections."They will try to bully us like the NCAA did, like Disney [is] doing," she said. "How dare they.

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Star Wars star Mark Hamill offered a stellar response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.The proposed legislation—officially called the Parental Rights in Education bill and passed by Florida’s Senate on March 8—bans educators and others from discussing gender and sexual identities with younger students.“Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards,” the bill reads.And the measure, which Florida Gov.

Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek announced Disney will be pausing all political donations in the state of Florida following a week of significant criticism of the company's initial silence on the Florida Legislature's "Don't Say Gay" bill.The company's lack of response to the bill, which would ban discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in some public school classrooms, sparked an intense backlash against Disney, internally and externally, prompting Chapek to shift to a public stance, calling for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to oppose the bill.DeSantis then called out the entertainment titan for its ties to China, accusing the company for criticizing "parents' rights" but continuing to work in China despite knowledge of the human rights issues in Xinjiang regarding Uyghur Muslims.After statements of apology to Disney's LGBTQ employees, Chapek released an internal memo on Friday further stating that the company would be pausing all political donations in Florida, affecting many of the politicians who had previously received money from the company.Several Disney donations were made to key co-sponsors of the bill, and in total, the company gave $253,850 to senators who voted to pass the "Don't Say Gay" bill.Donations made only for the 2022 general election go back to January 1, 2021, and records reviewed by Newsweek showed that Disney donated at least $33,000 for state Senate races and more than $98,000 in state House contests.Other primary GOP figures who have received donations from Disney included DeSantis, who received $50,000 from Disney Worldwide Services Inc., according to the Florida Division of Elections.Ashley Moody, Florida's attorney general, was given $25,000 from Disney during the 2022 general

The Hollywood Reporter. “Speaking to you, reading your messages, and meeting with you have helped me better understand how painful our silence was. It is clear that this is not just an issue about a bill in Florida, but instead yet another challenge to basic human rights.

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criticized for not immediately and publicly condemning the legislation. The company has also donated at least $250,000 to Florida Republican senators who voted to pass the bill."I truly believe we are an infinitely better and stronger company because of our LGBTQ+ community.

Texas and Florida continue to compete in their race to be named The Worst State in the U.S. It’s an absolutely exhausting display of anti-LGBTQ bigotry, and especially exhausting for LGBTQ people and their families. People are under enough stress, damn it! Between the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine,

In a move that gave me a feeling of toxic déjà vu from the anti-gay-marriage Proposition 8 in California in 2008, Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill has passed both houses of the state legislature and is headed to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis, where he is expected to sign it. The legislation is aimed at limiting what can be taught in classrooms about sexual orientation and gender identity, and also gives parents the right to sue schools or teachers if they believe what is being taught is unacceptable.

As controversy continued to swirl around Disney’s stance on Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, the Hulk himself today tweeted praise for Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s statement in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Anti-gay and anti-trans bills have been sweeping the country lately, and Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill — which would prohibit teachers from mentioning sexual orientation or gender identity under various circumstances, regardless of their own families or identities — has been causing a particular uproar.

“don’t say gay” bill and continuing to donate money to the bill’s sponsors, Disney CEO Bob Chapek, in his first public statement on the subject, shared that the company would be donating $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations protecting LGBTQ rights.Chapek also intends to meet with Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis — who is set to sign the bill into law — to discuss the company’s concerns about the legislation. The two already spoke over the phone, according to Chapek.“The governor heard our concerns and agreed to meet with me and LGBTQ+ members of our senior team in Florida to discuss the ways to address them,” Chapek said during Disney’s board meeting today, in which he officially confirmed the company’s opposition to the bill.

“don’t say gay” bill, similar legislation was filed in the Georgia State Assembly.A bill (SB 613) filed by Georgia state Sen. Carden Summers tackles both the teaching of "critical race theory" and the treatment of LGBTQ+ issues in the classroom.  In a single bill, the legislation places restrictions on a wide variety of topics that Republican lawmakers have targeted in legislatures across the country.Regarding LGBTQ+ issues, the bill suggests educators have “inappropriately discussed gender identity with children who have not yet reached the age of discretion."“Such a focus on racial and gender identity and its resulting discrimination on the basis of color, race, ethnicity, and national origin is destructive to the fabric of American society,” the bill reads.Should the bill pass, it would restrict how such topics can be addressed by teachers.“No private or nonpublic school or program to which this chapter applies shall promote, compel, or encourage classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not appropriate for the age and developmental stage of the student,” the bill states.That’s the language that appeared in early drafts of Florida’s “don’t say gay” bill.

Former Trump spokesperson Stephanie Grisham continued her book/rehabilitation tour this week by appearing as a co-host on The View.During a conversation yesterday about Florida’s homophobic “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which is currently on its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk, Grisham mentioned that her teenage son recently came out as gay and that he once told her he was “ashamed” that she worked for Donald Trump.Related: Melania didn’t give AF when staffer was fired and escorted out of White House for being on Grindr“This one is personal to me,” she said during the roundtable discussion.

Disney's silence on Florida Legislature's "Don't Say Gay" bill, CEO Bob Chapek announced that the company is taking a public stance on the matter and that he has personally called Governor Ron DeSantis to oppose the measure.During Disney's annual shareholder meeting on Friday, Chapek took time to address the controversy before the question-and-answer period, saying, "While [the company has] been strong supporters of the community for decades, I know that many are upset that we did not speak out against the bill.""I called Governor DeSantis this morning to express our disappointment and concern that if legislation becomes law, it could be used to unfairly target gay, lesbian, non-binary and transgender kids and families," the CEO said. "The governor heard our concerns and agreed to meet with me and LGBTQ+ members of our senior team in Florida to discuss ways to address them."Disney has faced widespread criticisms since Chapek declined to condemn the bill, which would ban discussion of "sexual orientation or gender identity" in Florida public schools, earlier this week.On Wednesday, Chapek said that the company had chose not to publicly address the bill in favor of working "behind the scenes" with lawmakers with whom the company has long-standing ties."We were opposed to the bill from the outset, but we chose not to take a public position on it because we thought we could be more effective working behind the scenes engaging directly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle," the CEO said during the meeting.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterDisney CEO Bob Chapek said Wednesday the company is pledging $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations protecting LGBTQ rights following backlash to the company’s initial quiet response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, as well as a report that the company has given money to all of the bill’s sponsors. Chapek, who is taking his first public stance against the bill, says he will also be meeting with Republican Gov.

through Chasten Buttigieg's criticisms, it's led to a staunch debate and a series of protests and walkouts by Florida students, civil rights groups, and faith-based organizations.Proponents of HB 1557 and SB 1834 — the House and Senate versions of the bill — argue that if passed, they would restrict inappropriate conversations about sex in classes. As it heads to the desk of Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who has signaled he will sign the legislation into law, we break down the facts. What does the bill actually say?Since first being submitted, the "don't say gay" bills have had 37 amendments with only two passing.

HB 1557 seeks to ban the discussion of LGBTQ topics mainly at the primary grade level. However, it will also limit discussion when “not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students”.

the Parental Rights in Education bill was passed by the Republican-controlled state Senate on Tuesday, having previously been passed by Florida's House of Representatives on February 24.Addressing the bill hours later during Tuesday's episode of Watch What Happens Live, Cohen, 53, branded the move "one big dog whistle" that is "scaring people into spewing hate and discrimination at the LGBTQ community.""Before we wrap up tonight, I want to address some personally disturbing news coming out of Florida," he said, before explaining the controversial bill, which Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign it into law."I have a few things I want to say about this," Cohen told the audience. "First to Florida Republicans, you're pretending to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

The Florida Senate has passed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” on Tuesday, March 8.In a 22-17 vote, the Republican-controlled Senate approved the bill. It will now go on to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it. If a school district is suspected of violating this law, parents would be able to sue.During the debate, Democrat Shevrin Jones, Florida’s first openly gay senator, tearfully said to his colleagues, “To those who think you can legislate gay people away, I’m sorry.

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Ron DeSantis after it was passed by the state's Legislature on Tuesday.Supporters and sponsors said the bill is written to stop teachers from teaching kindergarteners through third graders about sexual orientation or gender identity.

Related: Disney still won’t condemn “Don’t Say Gay” bill & tells staff to go to therapy if it bothers themLGBTQ advocates have been vehemently fighting against its passage, saying it will do irreparable harm to LGBTQ students and teachers who will essentially be banned from acknowledging their identities during the school day.If DeSantis does sign the bill, it will take effect on July 1. The Senate voted in its favor despite massive student protests against the bill at the state capitol yesterday.Holding homemade signs, students chanted, “We say gay” and assembled on the building’s front steps and inside.Inside the building, a young protester named Madelyn read a list of LGBTQ people who died by suicide after experiencing anti-LGBTQ discrimination.“The Florida state legislature is playing a dangerous political game with the health and safety of LGBTQ+ kids,” said Cathryn M.

The Florida Legislature has passed the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill and sent it to Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign.The Florida Senate on Tuesday morning voted 22-17 in favor of the bill. Republicans Jeffrey Brandes and Jennifer Bradley joined Democratic senators in voting against it.Tuesdays' vote came after the Senate rejected a series of amendments offered Monday.

Florida’s Republican-controlled Senate has passed the widely controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill by a vote of 22-17, bringing it one step away from becoming law.

The “Don’t Say Gay” bill faces mounting criticism as it continues to advance in the Florida Legislature and appears headed to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis, but one company with strong business ties to the state — despite professing to support the LGBTQ community — has declined to denounce the legislation to the growing disappointment of its many fans.

Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones broke down in tears as the controversial “don’t say gay” bill was debated on the Senate floor.Florida’s first out senator, he shared his personal struggles in coming out in 2018 at age 34.

Ron DeSantis's press secretary caused a stir on Friday with controversial tweets taking aim at critics of the state's "Don't Say Gay" bill.Introduced in the Florida state legislature last month, the "Don't Say Gay" bill would require schools to inform parents if their child identifies with an LGBT orientation, even in cases where the information would lead to "abuse, abandonment, or neglect" of the child. It would also prohibit the teaching of certain gender identity and sexual orientation topics.Since its introduction, the bill has faced severe backlash, particularly from left-wing and progressive voices.

Ron DeSantis, who supported the legislation. DeSantis previously said that the bill was actually about preventing sex-ed in classrooms with young children, saying: "Do you really want them being taught about sex?"A number of protesters urged Disney, which has numerous properties in the state, to speak out against the legislation.Disney heiress Abigail Disney, who is the grandniece of company founder Walt Disney tweeted on March 3: "When laws are being passed that are this hateful and dripping with prejudice, there is no neutrality. Not saying anything is saying a lot.

Tweet out your support with #LetFreeFloridaSayGay pic.twitter.com/C2a55Zmxal— David Hogg ? (@davidhogg111) March 7, 2022In it, the students chant “We say gay” in protest of the bill, which would prohibit classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, or in any grade if it is “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”Here’s another video, shot by student and protest organizer Will Larkins:WE SAY GAY pic.twitter.com/XJkQJzAer5— Will Larkins (@ProudTwinkie) March 7, 2022Opponents of the bill argue it will make life harder for LGBTQ youth, who already face higher rates of bullying and increased suicide risk compared to their straight, cisgender peers.Related: DeSantis press secretary tweets vile take on ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill and the Internet just can’t with herThe walkouts come as the state Senate prepares to discuss the legislation. It already passed in the state House, and Gov.

Related: ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill is passed by Florida’s HouseThe bill prohibits any discussion about sexuality or gender between kindergarten and third grade “or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” Opponents argue it will make life harder for LGBTQ youth, who already face higher rates of bullying and suicide risk compared to their straight, cisgender peers.Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who is gay, called for Pushaw’s resignation.“DeSantis’ spokesperson openly accused opponents of #DontSayGay of being ‘groomers’— aka PEDOPHILES,” Smith tweeted. “Bigoted attacks like this against LGBTQ people are the worst of the worst.

frightening conversation with ABC News Foreign Correspondent James Longman about the possibility of Vladimir Putin pulling down the Iron Curtain again in Russia, and how that would adversely impact the LGBTQ+ community. Putin’s move to close the country would be devastating, subjecting the Russian LGBTQ+ communities to even more discrimination than they experience now, including making them increasingly vulnerable to verbal and physical attacks.I don’t want to immix the horror of what’s going on in Russia with what’s happening around this country with LGBTQ+ kids, particularly in Florida with the “Don’t Say Gay” bills; however, the sheer fact that LGBTQ+ children are being singled out and being used as blatant political hostages to win votes is straight out of the playbook of an autocratic state.Since the start of the year, conservative state lawmakers have filed more than 170 anti-LGBTQ+ bills — already surpassing last year’s 139 total — with at least 69 of them centered on school policies, according to Freedom for All Americans. “What we’re seeing here is anti-LGBTQ groups, on a national level, making schools the new battleground across the board, across various kinds of school policies and various forms of legislation.

Protests and calls for a boycott continue to grow following the revelation that Disney donated to every single sponsor and co-sponsor of Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which seeks to curb discussions of LGBTQ topics in schools, and which was recently passed in the House and is expected to pass in the Senate and be signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Orlando Sentinel reports. And it appears it will continue to fund them.The bill would ban classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in grades where it is not “age-appropriate,” a rather vague definition, and opponents say it would harm LGBTQ+ students and teachers. It has been passed by the Florida House and is pending in the Senate.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made remarks at the University of South Florida. Of the remarks, what has gone viral is a short clip of DeSantis chiding a group of students, that had been staged as a photo opportunity behind him, for wearing masks."You do not have to wear those masks, please take them off," DeSantis told the gathered students that were all wearing masks. "Honestly, it's not doing anything and we gotta stop with this [pandemic] theater.

Related: FL Gov. straight-washes Pulse massacre by omitting any mention of LGBTQ people in proclamationLeading this charge is its Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis. Yesterday, footage emerged of him scolding a bunch of students for wearing masks.

A hotly contested bill making its way through the Florida Legislature has cleared its final hurdle before being sent to the floor of the state Senate. The bill passed the state House of Representatives February 23 by a vote of 69-47.Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has indicated he will sign the legislation when it reaches his desk. Senate Bill 1854, better known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, would ban discussion of LGBTQ issues and sexual identity in the state's primary classrooms, as reported in the Bay Area Reporter on February 23.The bill cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee February 28 by a vote of 12-8 and is now headed for its final vote.

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