Woke Wars Episode 7: Do all parents have ‘parental rights’ in Florida? | Opinion
In Gov. DeSantis’ Florida, angry voters — make that some angry voters — support bans on books, bans on pride flags, bans on talk of race and sexual orientation, all under the, um, banner of “parental rights.”
The term has become a most useful tool in the state’s education politics. DeSantis has used the term to describe his efforts to give parents more control over how their child is educated at school.
On its face, it’s well-founded desire. Teachers and faculty want involved parents. However, the governor has turned that useful tool into a blunt instrument with which parents — especially white ones in his base — have struck blows against so much of what education is supposed to be about — expanding young, curious minds — both in grades K-12 and at the university level.
The “Parental rights in education law” passed last year prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in grades K-3. It bans any instruction that is not age-appropriate for students. There’s also legislation that would bar children from attending drag shows with “lewd” performances.
This year’s expansion of the law bars educators from using a child’s preferred pronouns, bans talk of sexual orientation through high school and gives the state more control over sex-education materials. Trust us, thanks to social media, Cardi B and Little Nas X, high school students are well informed about the birds and the bees — and the bees and the bees, for that matter.
But not every parent feels included when it comes to parental rights, especially if their child is LGBTQ, Black or another student of color.
School districts must be receptive and responsive to the fears and concerns of these families, too. Otherwise, “parental rights” will be meaningless for them.
Woke Wars, a weekly opinion podcast by the Miami Herald Editorial Board, explores the culture wars that are dominating the Florida Legislature. Listen to new episodes every Thursday on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. Have a question? Want to share some feedback? Email heralded@miamiherald.com with the subject line WOKE WARS.
This story was originally published April 20, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
