DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Students at Atlantic Community High School in Delray Beach staged a walkout Thursday over the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill approved by the Florida Legislature earlier this week.
Dozens of students — many of whom were carrying signs and rainbow flags in support of LGBTQ rights — left the school just before 1 p.m. and marched to a nearby park and playground.
Exclusive video from WPTV Chopper 5 showed the group gathering on a play structure to protest the controversial legislation.
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The Florida Senate passed HB 1557/SB 1834 — formally called the "Parental Rights In Education" measure — on Tuesday. It will now head to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who's expected to sign it into law.
Under the contentious bill, "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."
Critics feel the measure is discriminatory and threatens the acceptance and inclusion of LGBTQ students in public schools.
"It's dehumanizing. We’re not animals. We deserve to have rights. We deserve to be talked about," said sophomore Aliya Barbancourt, who organized Thursday's walkout.
More than 40 students participated, carrying signs and waving flags. Barbancourt said the school's principal followed students in a golf cart.
"At first I thought we would have to turn around and go back to class, and then we didn’t," Barbancourt said. "A bunch of people started following us and they started chanting with us."
Barbancourt said the students plan to send a letter to DeSantis, asking him not to sign the bill.
A spokesperson for the School District of Palm Beach County said that if DeSantis approves the legislation, the district will follow the direction of the Florida Department of Education while continuing to maintain a safe and welcoming learning environment for students.
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Last month, the Palm Beach County School Board voted to send a letter to Florida lawmakers, officially denouncing the "Don't Say Gay" bill and calling it "worrisome."
In the letter, Superintendent Mike Burke and all seven school board members said they "stand firmly against any legislation that would compromise acceptance and respect for our students based on race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other demographic targeted for discriminatory exclusion."
The group added in the letter that "LGBTQ matters are conversations for older students" and are not discussed in primary grades — meaning elementary school — within the School District of Palm Beach County.
READ THE LETTER:
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Supporters of the bill, however, argued the legislation gives parents more control over what their children learn in school, and also allows students to focus more on subjects like reading and math, and not gender identity.
"Parents, of course, are very anxious about what all their kids are being exposed to, who they’re being influenced by," said Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Lady Lake, who sponsored the bill. "Somebody has to be in charge. They shouldn’t lose that right when they get to the classroom door."
Once the "Parental Rights In Education" bill is signed into law by DeSantis, the curriculum changes will go into effect on July 1.
