On April 1, high school students from across the country participated in a national walkout to oppose the record number of anti-LGBTQ bills proposed by state lawmakers this year.
At DeKalb School of the Arts (DSA) in Avondale Estates, around 30 students rallied in front of the school on Clarendon Avenue to protest Florida’s House Bill 1557, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill recently passed into law that prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels in public schools. DSA’s walkout was organized by the Gay Straight Alliance, a school club for students who identify as LGBTQ and their allies.
DSA freshman Fletcher, who identifies as a transgender gay man, said they were fighting against the “Don’t Say Gay” bill “because there is absolutely nothing inappropriate about being queer, being gay or a kid having two moms. They should be able to talk about that just like a kid who has a mom and a dad in school and we just want to get those younger kids the right to be themselves in school.”
Parents Peter Wells and Patricia Richmond stood by in support of their children.
Richmond, who is president of the PTSA at DSA said that as a former employee of school libraries, she knew very well that ignoring and not saying words like gay is not going to keep kids from being gay.
