Miami News

2022 LGBTQ History Month and the Miami School Board decision against commemorating it

After the majority of the board voted against the measure, the Miami School Board will not be commemorating LGBTQ history month

Last month, the Miami-Dade School Board unanimously voted against observing LGBTQ History Month in October, which included a proposal to educate 12th graders about 2 Supreme Court cases impacting the LGBTQ community. The Miami-Dade school system is the country’s fourth largest, with 331,500 pupils.  

After a tense debate among various members, the Miami-Dade School Board was against observing the month, debating that this may go against Florida’s Parental Rights in education law.

Here's more on the LGBTQ History Month issue

About the measure

LGBTQ History Month was founded by Rodney Wilson back in 1994. Wilson was a Missouri high school teacher who picked October to celebrate the community’s history. During this month, schools celebrate and teach children about the LGBTQ community's history.

The commemoration of this month was proposed by Board member Lucia Baez-Geller in the Miami-Dade school board. While discussing the measure, she shares that it was a way to recognize and respect each other. The Miami-Dade School Board observed LGBTQ History Month last year. However, the board disagreed with adding the Supreme Court cases.

Some opponents claimed it violated their religious beliefs, while others reasoned that the board engaged in child indoctrination and sexual abuse. Moreover, some falsely stated that the measure would require students to learn about LGBTQ+ issues without parental consent.

The “Don’t Say Gay” bill

A pride flag

Earlier this year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis supported a law that shuns education and teaching on gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten until grade three. Critics have called this law the "don't say gay" bill.

The Miami-Dade School Board announced its decision after taking an hour-long break to discuss the budget of the district. They heard the testimnoies of parents for four hours and then decided to vote against observing LGBTQ history month. After the final vote was announced, some people cheered upon hearing it while the proponents seemed disappointed by this result.

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