In case you missed it: the theocracy that is Florida (and other red states)

Schools in Florida are beginning their second year with no direction on how to teach mandated sex education courses.

You may recall that in May 2023, Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1069, which mandated state approval over sex education materials used in schools. The draconion law, for example, “redefines ‘sex’ as a classification based on biological characteristics.”

That law built upon the 2022 Parental Rights in Education Act (HB 1557) that “restricts instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity until eighth grade.” It was successfully challenged in court last year.

[The] settlement clarifies the law only applies to formal classroom instruction and does not restrict discussion of gender or sexuality that may arise during class participation or students’ schoolwork. The law also does not ban materials like library books that reference LGBTQ topics, it states.

However, the legislature remained undeterred as HB 1069 demonstrates.

In August 2023, the Orange County Public School submitted its materials to the Florida Department of Education (FDE) for approval. They are still waiting, more than a year later, just like every other Florida school district.

According to Judd Legum at Popular Information:

Specifically, the law requires all sex education classes to teach students that sex is binary, “either male or female,” even though that is inaccurate. It also mandates that students are instructed that sex is defined exclusively by “internal and external genitalia present at birth,” and these sex roles are “binary, stable, and unchangeable.” This requirement erases the existence of trans and nonbinary people. Schools also must “teach abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage as the expected standard for all school-age students” and “the benefits of monogamous heterosexual marriage.”

[…]

Schools are reluctant to use the state’s pre-approved texts because they are glaringly incomplete. For example, one textbook “preaches abstinence as the only effective way to prevent STDs and pregnancy and does not mention contraception.” To avoid issues, the textbook advises students to “go on group dates rather than spend one-on-one time with a partner.”

In case that sounds like First Amendment violations to you, some parents agree. In June, a group of parents sued the state:

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, contends that HB 1069 discriminates against parents who oppose book bans and censorship. The law provides a formal process for parents favoring censorship to challenge a school board’s decision to keep a book while excluding parents who oppose censorship from participating in the process.

The plaintiffs seek the ability to review local school boards’ decisions to remove or restrict books in their children’s school districts.

Legum notes: “The FDE has ignored requests for comment and public records requests seeking an explanation for the delay.”

Florida’s response to criticism has been silence and inaction.

According to Politico, sex ed isn’t the only place where religion is crossing into public schools.

Florida now allows chaplains in public schools. Oklahoma and Texas are looking to infuse Bible lessons into curricula. And Louisiana wants to set up Ten Commandments displays in classrooms…

Republican officials including Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Oklahoma state school Superintendent Ryan Walters are welcoming legal challenges, defending their policies and demanding local schools fall in line. Even former President Donald Trump has offered support for posting the Ten Commandments in public schools.

But a diverse range of opponents — including local school officials, civil rights organizations and the Satanic Temple — hope to stymie these initiatives.

This is religious nationalism. It is the American Taliban.

Although the laws are clearly unconstitutional, how this Supreme Court would rule on parental objections is anyone’s guess.

These are the stakes in November.

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