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

Abstract

ObjectiveThe current study sought to understand LGBTQ parents' concerns about how Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act (commonly referred to as the “Don't Say Gay” bill) would impact their children and family unit and whether and how they communicated with children about it.BackgroundFlorida'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 settings, where curricula and policies often primarily center and reflect heterosexual parent families.MethodWe 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 lesbian (52%) or gay (23%). Almost two thirds of participants (63%) were White, and almost one third (32%) were Latinx.FindingsMore than three quarters of participants were worried about the bill. Primary concerns centered on how it would restrict their children's ability to speak freely about their families in the classroom and impact their sense of self by cultivating 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 children, with parents of younger children often emphasizing family diversity to foster a sense of pride.ConclusionThe Parental Rights in Education Act and other anti‐LGBTQ legislation have the potential to impact a range of vulnerable children and families, including LGBTQ parent families.ImplicationsYouth and family advocates and practitioners should work to educate others about the effects of this legislation and support LGBTQ parent families in collective action and resiliency efforts.

LGBTQ parents’ accounts of their children’s experiences with heterosexism in schools.

“…At the structural level, parents detailed a range of ways their children had been excluded or erased in the school system. In evaluating these findings, which highlight the potential for children of LGBTQ parents to receive less than an equal education given their families' erasure from course material (A. E. Goldberg, 2023), it is essential to highlight the need for school policies that can enhance inclusion of children with LGBTQ parents. Many teachers do not receive any training or education on the topic of sexuality or gender diversity or LGBTQ parent families (Kintner-Duffy et al, 2012); in turn, systematic inclusion of these topics in teacher training and educational programs should be a priority.…”

“…Such decision-making is facilitated by economic resources, such that more affluent LGBTQ families can more seriously consider the LGBTQ inclusiveness of a given school, assuming their availability in a given region (A. E. . Wealthier parents may also be more able to afford private schools, which may be valued because they are seen as providing a buffer to exposure to victimization (A. E. Goldberg, 2023;. Risk of marginalization may be higher among LGBTQ families with less latitude in decision-making-such as those who cannot afford private school, or live in more rural regions: indeed, several studies have found that rural LGBQ parents are more likely to report that their children were bullied than those in urban areas (A. E. Goldberg & Garcia, 2020;Power et al, 2014).…”

“…Of course, teachers and staff may not be open to LGBTQ parents' input and may ignore their feedback (A. E. Goldberg, Black, Sweeney, et al, 2017;Lindsay et al, 2006), particularly in the current political climate, in which certain parents' rights (i.e., cisgender, heterosexual parents) are often centered over others (Kline et al, 2022) and debates around whether to affirm LGBTQ identities in classrooms and curricula are ongoing (A. E. Goldberg, 2023;Kline et al, 2022). In turn, in addition to enlisting proactive strategies to minimize marginalization, LGBTQ parents may deploy reactive strategies as well.…”

From safety in silence to speaking up for LGBTQ+ families: A reflection on the personal, professional, and political through a feminist lens

“…Yet researching and telling "messy" LGBTQ+ parent stories still feels risky, especially at the current sociopolitical moment, when the question of whether children with LGBTQ+ parents can even talk about their families in their kindergarten classrooms is up for debate in some states (Goldberg, 2023). Whereas research focusing on individual suffering (e.g., trans college students' feelings of marginalization) has often sought to highlight the harms of systemic oppression (e.g., the structures that caused such marginalization), in a family contextand the LGBTQ family context specifically-focusing on parents' or children's suffering carries unique risks.…”

The science of families: Nurturing hope, happiness, and health

“…Five articles were organized under the family policies and academic program needs theme. This section of articles contained two works in which authors used mixed methods (Bradford et al, 2024;Goldberg & Abreu, 2024); one of the mixed methods articles also was an evaluation study (Bradford et al, 2024). An additional two articles were quantitative methods studies (Castellanos-Serrano et al, 2024;Costanzo & Reilly, 2024).…”