Media continues use of debunked ‘Don’t Say Gay’ moniker to describe Florida law
The mainstream media loves to cling onto false, debunked narratives. Case in point is the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law, which is officially known as the Parental Rights in Education law in Florida.
As Accuracy in Academia reported previously, the parental rights law prevents teachers in kindergarten to third grade from teaching gender and sexual orientation. In other words, the law prevents left-wing activist teachers from trying to indoctrinate children between the ages of five to eight. If teachers violate the law, they could lose their teaching license.
The outrage from the media ensued when the Florida Department of Education finalized the development of age-appropriate and developmentally-appropriate guidance for students last week by a unanimous vote.
State education commissioner Manny Diaz said, about the guidance, “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 added, “They’re not being shunned, none of this is being addressed here.”
As Diaz noted, nowhere in the law is there a ban on the word “gay,” but that is the false narrative that the media is running with.
Here are examples of the media’s incorrect, if not misleading, headlines:
- ABC News: So-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ rules expanded through 12th grade in Florida
- Associated Press: Florida expands ‘Don’t Say Gay’; House OKs anti-LGBTQ bills
- Politico: Florida expands ban on sexual orientation and gender identity teachings through high school
- The Hill: Florida expansion of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ could release flood of book bans
- TIME: Florida’s New ‘Don’t Say Gay’ laws: What They Mean for Kids
- Washington Post: Analysis | Florida’s law shielding little kids from LGBTQ now shields big kids, too
With false narratives like this, it is no wonder why the American public distrusts the mainstream media with each passing year.
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Don Irvine
Donald Irvine is the chairman of of Accuracy in Academia (AIA), a non-profit research group reporting on bias in education. Irvine follows his father’s legacy, Reed Irvine, to critically analyze the liberal media’s bias and brings over thirty years of media analysis experience. He has published countless blog posts and articles on media bias, in context of current events, and he has been interviewed by many news media outlets during his professional career. He currently hosts a livestream weekly show on AIA’s Facebook page which discusses current events.
Irvine graduated from the University of Maryland and rose up the ranks to become chairman of Accuracy in Media until his transition to AIA.
He resides in the suburbs around the nation’s capital and is a proud father and grandfather.
