‘Florida is now Ruled by Proud Boys?’ Social media users debate Miami Schools’ LGBTQ decision
A contentious Miami-Dade School Board meeting that resulted in the board slapping down a measure to recognize October as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer History Month ended late Wednesday night, but the debate didn’t stop there.
Social media users quickly picked up the incendiary topic, which saw scores of students, teachers and parents stride up to the microphone to express their views during the hours-long meeting at the School Board headquarters in downtown Miami.
The board’s 8-1 vote rejecting the recognition of LGBTQ month and preventing civics teachers from teaching 12th-graders about two landmark Supreme Court landmark decisions that impacted the LGBTQ communities led to social media condemnation and applause in a metropolitan area with one of the largest LGBTQ communities in the country. A 2021 University of California, Los Angeles study concluded about 214,000 LGBTQ residents live in greater Miami.
Board member Lucia Baez-Geller, who proffered the item, was the only one who voted for the measure on the nine-person School Board.
READ MORE: After debate citing indoctrination and Nazis, Miami-Dade School Board rejects LGBTQ month
Miami freelance writer Jordan Levin, or @jordanglevin on Twitter, expressed sadness.
“Devastating. Going against most students and parents wishes, Miami-Dade School Board rejects LGBTQ month & teaching landmark Supreme Court decisions affecting gay rights,” wrote Levin, a former dance critic with the Herald.
READ MORE: Here are Miami-Dade School Board members who flipped their votes and rejected LGBTQ month
Jose Antonio Soto, with the shortened version of his name as @JoseAntoSoto, sharply criticized the move.
“Not Florida yet again proving it’s the land of the dissociated, delusional and vile,” he wrote on his own Twitter page, which shows he works as digital media manager at Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization.
The Miami Dade School Board, just last year, passed a resolution recognizing October as LGBTQ history month by a vote of 7-1.
Tonight, that Board voted 8-1 against a resolution to do so again this year.
What changed? The Don't Say LGBTQ law, they claimed. https://t.co/DZIfOA3QyC— Brandon Wolf (@bjoewolf) September 8, 2022
The School Board’s move also garnered support from those on the politically conservative side.
Ann Clearing, with the username @annclearing, cheered on the board’s decision with a tweet that read: “Good for them!! WHY would this be taught in school??!” Her bio on the site, sprinkled with eagle and U.S. flag emojis, reads: “Constitutional Patriot” and “SICK AND TIRED OF LEFTIST BULLIES!!”
Patrick Murray, whose bio describes him as a recent Florida State University graduate and who has worked on Sen. Marco Rubio’s reelection campaign, said age matters for him. Rubio, the GOP incumbent U.S. senator from Florida, is running against Val Demings, the Orlando congresswoman.
READ MORE: Val Demings says she supports abortion up to ‘time of viability’ after Rubio attacks
“I have no issue with students learning about Obergefell in 12th grade,” he said, adding his problem was with fifth-graders learning about transgender people.
The issue before the board applied only to teaching 12th-grade civics students about the two Supreme Court decisions: Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 (recognizing same-sex marriage) and Bostock v. Clayton County in 2020 (finding an employer can’t fire someone for being gay or transgender).
Murray also suggested a calendar switch for Pride month, traditionally celebrated in June, with a sarcastic remark: “Also if they’re so concerned about making October LGBT month maybe switch June with October when kids are actually in school since nobody is in school in June if they care so much and the Gay kids of Miami-Dade are treated so horribly.”
Big win in Miami-Dade as the school board rejects LGBT History Month. The LGBTQ agenda is now sending kids from the classrooms to the operating room. This has to stop.
— tony red (@starshipred) September 8, 2022
On Instagram, the comments flowed just as rapidly. On a Miami Herald post with the news, readers shared their thoughts:
User “christineewalsh” asked: “Florida is now Ruled by Proud Boys?”
A contingent of Proud Boys got in a loud argument with a person hoisting a trans flag outside the School Board headquarters at 1450 NE Second Ave. during the meeting, which lasted until almost 10 p.m. The public comment period on the issue began around 3 p.m., with a discussion of the School Board’s $7 billion budget taking place in between.
User “orchids_paradise” voiced her perspective: “I don’t want any teacher talk to my daughter about sexualisation, that is my job, simple.”
User “flo_raa” said: “We are going backwards instead of forward. We must learn of our past to better our future.”
User “ufocatz” added three applause emojis with his message: “A win for protecting kids.”
User “heysamleon” chimed in: “To opt out of learning anything is pretty sad.”
