Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on May 17 signed into law five bills protecting women and children from radical transgender ideology. While not the first state to do so, Florida’s passage of Senate Bill 254 puts it in good company with 16 other states that have enacted similar laws. SB 254 prohibits “sex-reassignment prescriptions and procedures for patients younger than 18 years of age,” and attaches penalties including loss of license, civil liabilities, and felony charges with up to five years imprisonment and a $5,000 fine for violators. Next, DeSantis signed House Bill 1069, which expands and solidifies last year’s Parental Rights in Education law. He then signed Senate Bill 1438, Protection of Children, which prohibits the issuing of permits “or otherwise authorizing” the admission of a child “to an adult live performance,” such as a drag show. Again, penalties apply for violations. Further exercising the power of his pen, DeSantis then signed House Bill 1521, Facility Requirements Based on Sex, which “provides requirements for exclusive use of restrooms [and] changing facilities by gender; prohibits willfully entering a restroom or changing facility designated for opposite sex and refusing to depart when asked to do so ...” This law extends the gender separation requirements to domestic violence centers and prisons. Finally, DeSantis signed House Bill 225, Interscholastic Activities, which authorizes that private school, virtual school, and home school students may participate in sports and extracurricular activities at public or private schools regardless of where they live. This bill also “preserves the First Amendment right to speech including in public prayer at the beginning of high school sporting events.” The Washington Stand observed that of all these bills, SB 254 caused the most panic among leftists. “[The] LGBT group Equality Florida and Democratic lawmakers boisterously protested the bill outside the Senate chamber on March 13, while it was under consideration,” The Stand reported. “At the event, state Rep. Anna Eskamini (D) complained that Republicans were ‘erasing our trans babies.’” On April 18, protestors threw underwear with “leave my genitals alone” written on it from the balcony on lawmakers below; law enforcement escorted the group, which included children, from the building, cited six people for trespass, and arrested one on a charge of disturbing the peace.” Education Reporter will provide more information on these important new laws next month in our June issue. Stay tuned.

Target is the latest corporation to flout the majority of Americans with a woke nod to transgender insanity. On May 11, the Daily Mail Online reported that Target is promoting a “Pride collection” of pro-LGBTQ clothing for toddlers and elementary-school children, with up-front displays in many stores. The group Gays Against Groomers (GAG) is urging customers to boycott the retailer by taking their business elsewhere. GAG outed the clothing line on Twitter, complete with photos and a video of the items, which include shirts for children with the slogan “Trans People Will Always Exist!,” rainbow-striped tutus for toddlers, onesies for infants emblazoned with ¡Bien Proud!, and T-shirts with the pronoun “they” accompanying drawings of male, female, and unisex figures. Target is reportedly also adding transgender swimsuits that have “extra room in the crotch area for ‘tucking;’” in other words, so boys can wear girls’ swimsuits. GAG charged that the retailer is “indoctrinating and grooming [kids] with LGBTQ ideology. It is highly inappropriate and disturbing. We hope there are enough parents out there that understand how wrong this is and show them that this garbage will not sell. The only thing these people understand is money. Target deserves the Bud Light treatment. We will work to put the pressure on them.” The response was immediate and negative, with many shoppers vowing to boycott the company. One savvy Twitter user posted that Target is “Looking to boost their ESG score.” Others said they will no longer be able to shop there. While some are applauding Target’s actions, comparisons to the Bud Light fiasco, which has allegedly cost the beer giant some $4 billion in value and counting, are already being made. As of May 25, Target has already lost market value and “is pulling much of its so-called ‘pride’ merchandise from store shelves.”

A recent national poll shows that a majority of Americans don’t want public school teachers discussing politics with their children in the classroom. Conservative America Today.com reported that Grinnell College and pollster J. Ann Selzer conducted the poll, which found that while most Americans approve of citizens and elected officials speaking their minds on politics, they oppose public-school teachers doing so. Among Republicans and those who said they lean Republican, 68 percent oppose teachers speaking about politics in class; as did 65 percent of suburban women, 63 percent of those earning $100K or above, and 64 percent of Catholics. Other questions included whether or not respondents would favor a ban on children receiving gender-affirming medical care, with parental consent. Republicans favored a ban by 68 percent, with 28 percent opposed, while 78 percent of Democrats said they would oppose such a ban, with just 18 percent in favor. When pollsters asked who should determine which books are allowed in school libraries; 57 percent said librarians should play a big part, but 55 percent said students and their families should play a big part. Survey results show that the overall takeaway is that “a majority of Americans do not want elected officials at the state level to play a big part in these decisions.” The Grinnell College National Poll began as a pilot project in 2018 and is now conducted twice annually with questions covering current events, national trends, and public policy. The college contends that the poll has become “a trusted source of information for journalists and the public, a platform for innovative teaching in the classroom, and a vital way for Grinnell College to join the national conversation about our nation’s future.” Grinnell is a small private, residential liberal arts college located in Grinnell, Iowa. It was founded in 1846. The subject poll queried 1,004 U.S. adults and was conducted in March 2023.

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