Florida extends ban on gender, sexual orientation lessons through grade 12

The Florida Board of Education on Wednesday increased its restrictions on public school lessons discussing gender identity and sexual orientation, almost completely barring mention of the subject.

Under the state's Parental Rights in Education Act, which LGBT groups have maligned as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, public schools may not instruct children from kindergarten through grade 3 on such topics. 

The new state board guidelines, which received unanimous support from the body, extend those restrictions through high school and earlier to pre-K. It allows exceptions should the lessons be part of a health course where parents may opt-out their children, Politico reported.

Education Commissioner Manny Diaz contended that the rules are necessary to ensure educators stick to state standards while LGBT advocates had opposed the rules, contending that such a sweeping restriction might marginalize LGBT students.

"The curriculum and the standards taught in an academic classroom have nothing to do with the school’s compassion and being able to provide services to individual students," Diaz said, per the outlet. "They’re not being shunned, none of this is being addressed here."

State legislators have filed legislation to expand the PREA's restrictions through to the eighth grade and earlier to include pre-K. That measure would also impose tight restrictions on the use of preferred pronouns.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.