Florida State Representative Joe Harding Arrested
A United States federal grand jury has indicted the Florida state representative Joe Harding, the Republican lawmaker who authored the “don’t say gay” bill, for Covid business relief fraud and money laundering, the justice department announced on Wednesday. While in office between December 2020 and March 2021, Harding committed wire fraud by taking part in a “scheme to defraud” the Small Business Administration by obtaining Covid-related relief funds for small businesses under false pretenses, according to the federal indictment.
Did you know teachers in Florida can’t even wear rainbow colors or even put a picture of their same-sex spouse on their desks after Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Don’t Say Gay Bill in Florida?
The Don’t Say Gay Bill
The “don’t say gay” bill is a term that has been used to refer to several proposed or enacted pieces of legislation in the United States that sought to prohibit or limit discussions of homosexuality in schools. One example of such a bill is the “Don’t Say Gay” bill that was proposed in the state of Tennessee in 2011. This bill would have prohibited teachers in public schools from discussing any sexuality other than heterosexuality before the ninth grade. The bill did not pass, but similar bills have been proposed in other states as well.
These bills have been controversial because they are seen as discriminatory and harmful to LGBTQ+ students. Supporters argue that the bills are necessary to protect children from discussions of sexuality that are not age-appropriate, while opponents argue that the bills stigmatize and exclude LGBTQ+ students, and prevent them from receiving the support and information they need to be safe and healthy. Overall, the “don’t say gay” bills have been highly controversial because they touch on issues related to free speech, education, and LGBTQ+ rights.
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