LGBTQ parent concerns and parent–child communication about the Parental Rights in Education Bill (“Don't Say Gay”) in Florida

• Published date: 01 February 2024
• Author: Abbie E. Goldberg,Roberto Abreu
• Date: 01 February 2024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12894

RESEARCH

LGBTQ parent concerns and parent–child

communication about the Parental Rights in

Education Bill (“Don’t Say Gay”) in Florida

Abbie E. Goldberg

1

|Roberto Abreu

2

1

Department of Psychology, Clark University,

Worcester, MA

2

Department of Psychology, University of

Florida, Gainesville, FL

Correspondence

Abbie E. Goldberg, 950 Main Street,

Department of Psychology, Clark University,

Worcester, MA 01610, USA.

Email: agoldberg@clarku.edu

Abstract

Objective: The current study sought to understand LGBTQ

parents’concerns about how Florida’sParentalRightsin

Education Act (commonly referred to as the “Don’tSay

Gay”bill) would impact their children and family unit and

whether and how they communicated with children about it.

Background: Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill,

which was signed into law in 2022, has implications for

educators, youth, and families, including LGBTQ parent

families. Indeed, children in LGBTQ parent families

already face marginalization and erasure in school set-

tings, where curricula and policies often primarily center

and reflect heterosexual parent families.

Method: We surveyed LGBTQ parents (N=90) in Florida in

2022. The sample was primarily cisgender women (62%) and

cisgender men (26%), with most participants identifying as les-

bian (52%) or gay (23%). Almost two thirds of participants

(63%) were White, and almost one third (32%) were Latinx.

Findings: More than three quarters of participants were wor-

ried about the bill. Primary concerns centered on how it would

restrict their children’s ability to speak freely about their fami-

lies in the classroom and impact their sense of self by cultivat-

ing a climate where their families were marginalized. Parents

also highlighted broader concerns about how the legislation

would fuel further anti-LGBTQ sentiment. Parents with few

concerns typically had very young or high-school–age children

or had children in private school. Parents who talked about

the bill with their children tended to be parents of older chil-

dren, with parents of younger children often emphasizing fam-

ily diversity to foster a sense of pride.

Conclusion: The Parental Rights in Education Act and other

anti-LGBTQ legislation have the potential to impact a range

Author note:This study was supported by funds from the Jan and Larry Landry Endowed Chair, awarded to the first author.

Received: 11 December 2022Revised: 9 February 2023Accepted: 9 April 2023

DOI: 10.1111/fare.12894

© 2023 National Council on Family Relations.

318 Family Relations. 2024;73:318–339.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/fare

of vulnerable children and families, including LGBTQ parent

families.

Implications: Youth and family advocates and practi-

tioners should work to educate others about the effects of

this legislation and support LGBTQ parent families in col-

lective action and resiliency efforts.

KEYWORDS

“Don’t Say Gay”, Florida, discrimination, LGBTQ parents, parental

rights in education, schools, stigma

Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, which is often labeled the “Don’t Say Gay”bill,

was signed into law in 2022. This bill has implications for educators, youth, and families

(Lenson, 2015). It may contribute to hostility toward LGBTQ teachers and youth who are

out about their identities and create a chilling effect whereby LGBTQ youth are afraid to

come out in school (Kline et al., 2022). It may also impact the learning environment and

well-being of children with LGBTQ parents, as well as school engagement and sense of

belonging in LGBTQ parents (Kline et al., 2022; Lenson, 2015; Luterman, 2022;

Sosin, 2022). This mixed-methods exploratory study, which is grounded in an integrated

framework that incorporates ecological and minority stress perspectives, uses a non-

representative sample to understand LGBTQ parents’(a) concerns about how the bill would

impact their children and family and (b) if and how they sought to communicate with

children about it. This exploratory study brings attention to how a select group of LGBTQ

parents are making meaning of the potential impact and implications of this legislation.

According to Bronfenbrenner’s (1986) ecological framework, development occurs within

multiple interacting contexts, with influences ranging from distal contexts (e.g., national politi-

cal climate, state laws) to proximal settings (e.g., neighborhood, family). Children are impacted

by state laws and policies, as well as their schools and communities, which may reflect the

broader norms and attitudes of state politics. Bronfenbrenner emphasized the role of context in

shaping development and has urged scholars to adopt an interactionist approach that integrates

personal and contextual variables in predicting adjustment.

One factor with personal and contextual manifestations that is relevantinthelivesofLGBTQ

parent families is minority stress (Brooks, 1992; Meyer, 1995). Minority stress describes the added

stress that people from marginalized groups experience related to the stigma, prejudice, and discrim-

ination they encounter because of their identities and lesser social power (Meyer, 2003). Discrimina-

tory laws at the distal level may trickle down to more proximal settings (e.g., community, schools),

creating a sense of disharmony between individuals and the oppressive social context in which they

live, resulting in stress (Meyer et al., 2011). Both children and their LGBTQ parents may experience

stigma and exclusion in their communities and schools, which constitute stressors that may result in

poor mental health outcomes (Goldberg & Byard, 2020;Meyer,2003). Similarly, the introduction

and passing of anti-LGBTQ laws and policies have been found to cause significant stress for

LGBTQ people and their families (Abreu et al., 2022a,2022b;Rostoskyetal.,2009).

HISTORY AND EFFECTS OF LEGISLATION RELATED TO THE

PARENTAL RIGHTS IN EDUCATION ACT (“DON’T SAY GAY”BILL)

On March 28, 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law the Parental Rights in

Education bill (HB 1557). It went into effect on July 1, 2022 (Strauss, 2022). This bill asserts

that curricular instruction by school personnel that deals with sexual orientation or gender

LGBTQ PARENT CONCERNS319