A far-left Political Action Committee (PAC) is spending six figures on billboards that say “Say Gay,” in response to a Florida bill that bans kindergarten through third-grade teachers from talking to students about sex, gender and sexuality.
“Starting Wednesday these will be going up all throughout Florida. Thank you to everyone who made this possible, especially Ron DeSantis for being a terrible person,” left-wing activist Ally Sammarco said on Twitter.
We have been approved for another $300,000 of inventory throughout the state. If you are in a position to make a contribution please consider doing so. Every single retweet and dollar will help us: https://t.co/XcuNrZ3xru
— Ally Sammarco (@Ally_Sammarco) March 21, 2022
“We have been approved for another $300,000 of inventory throughout the state. If you are in a position to make a contribution please consider doing so,” Sammarco continued.
The political left has colloquially referred to the HB 1557 as a “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and the PAC that is paying for the ads is called “Southern Progress.”
“Southern Progress PAC exists to speak truth to power and expose the extremist agenda of Republican politicians that seek power for themselves while trampling on the rights of the people they claim to represent,” according to the group’s website.
The governor’s office fired back at the PAC Monday morning, shortly after its announcement of the billboard campaign.
“[It’s] not surprising that out-of-state progressive PACs are out of touch with Floridians. The people of Florida support this bill, because it’s common sense that kids in grades K through 3 are too young for classroom instruction on sexuality and gender theory,” Christina Pushaw, the Press Secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), told The Florida Capital Star.
“Developmentally appropriate education is not controversial, and it’s bizarre that the Left is doubling down on debunked falsehoods about HB 1557,” Pushaw said. “The word ‘gay’ is not in the bill. If they read the bill and have a genuine criticism of what’s in it, they should articulate that — but nobody has.”
Pushaw is right.
A Politico/Morning Consult poll published last week shows that a majority of likely American voters support DeSantis’ anti-grooming bill, and not the position taken by the far-left that young children should be taught about sex.
Other states with Republican-dominated legislatures are now taking up DeSantis’ mantle.
In Tennessee, HB 800 is making its way through the state’s General Assembly.
Arguably even more strict than the Florida law, that bill says public and charter schools “shall not locally adopt or use in the public schools of this state, textbooks and instructional materials or supplemental instructional materials that promote, normalize, support, or address lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, or transgender (LGBT) issues or lifestyles.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Florida Capital Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Say Gay Billboard” by Ally Sammarco.
