[ [link removed] ]Sign my petition: Stop DeSantis and Republicans' dangerous attacks on
our communities!

Dear MoveOn member,

I'm Jack, a queer student in Florida, and, on Thursday, I was indefinitely
suspended from my high school after planning and leading a preapproved
rally in opposition to the homophobic, transphobic, and discriminatory
"Don't Say Gay" bill being pushed by Governor DeSantis and Florida
Republicans. This horrifying bill is being fast-tracked by Republicans in
the Florida Legislature, and is a direct, anti-LGBTQ+ attack that will
prevent teachers from talking about LGBTQ+ issues or people and will
undermine existing protections for LGBTQ+ kids like me in schools, a place
where I am supposed to feel safe to learn.^1

I may have been suspended, but I will not be silenced. I am proud of who I
am. I am proud that over 500 students from my school joined thousands of
other concerned youth across the state to show the same politicians who
are targeting us and peddling bigotry that we will not be erased.

[ [link removed] ]Will you add your name to my petition demanding that Florida
legislators in the Senate reject this dangerous bill before it's too late?

[ [link removed] ]Picture of high school rally in opposition of the Don't Say Gay bill

The truth is that Ron DeSantis and Florida Republicans are running a
full-court press to attack our most vulnerable communities this
legislative session. Time is running out: The bill has passed in the
House, and there will be a final vote in the Senate this Monday or
Tuesday. And it's not just Florida: Republican-controlled state
legislatures across the country have introduced over 100 anti-LGBTQ+
bills, most of which especially target trans and nonbinary youth.^2 So we
must rise up to push back against these dangerous attacks.

John, there is absolutely no time to waste. LGBTQ+ youth like
me are counting on you to rise up and fight back.

[ [link removed] ]Click here to join thousands of MoveOn members and sign the petition in
solidarity with LGBTQ+ youth.

Florida Republicans have not held back while pushing this bill. So I was
horrified, angered, and concerned when I heard that the original sponsor
of the "Don't Say Gay" bill—Representative Joe Harding—deliberately put
LGBTQ+ youth in harm's way by adding an amendment to the bill that would
force teachers to out LGBTQ+ students to their parents, even if it would
result in abuse, abandonment, or neglect.^3 After public outcry and
pressure, the amendment was withdrawn.^4 So that shows us that our
collective voices are making a difference.

Florida Republicans want to continue putting LGBTQ+ kids in harm's way.
They must be stopped. What's even more terrifying—there are more
opportunities for them to introduce language that will make this dangerous
bill even more lethal. That's why we have to keep the pressure up and
demand that Florida legislators stop this bill from passing in the Senate
this Monday or Tuesday.

[5]Sign my petition

Although my school administration initially approved the rally I led and
planned, their demeanor and tone drastically shifted as the rally
progressed. Administrators began confiscating pride flags and attempted to
remove them from campus. Then I was suspended. This is only the beginning.
If this "Don't Say Gay" bill passes in the Senate on Monday or Tuesday,
things will get much worse for LGBTQ+ youth like me.

Bills like this cause further, immeasurable harm to communities that
already face harassment, discrimination, and attacks like these day after
day for simply existing. These bills are attempts at erasing us,
stigmatizing us, and isolating us, and they would continue to push LGBTQ+
youth even further to the margins. It's heartbreaking and hits way too
close to home for me and so many others.

I am proud of who I am, and I am proud of all of those protesting these
regressive bills. We must let our politicians know that no matter how hard
they try, they cannot suppress our identities, silence our voices, and
erase our communities. Gen Z and young people will not sit idly by as our
rights are stripped from us. Will you join us?

[ [link removed] ]Add your name to my petition to push back against DeSantis and Florida
Republicans' attacks against LGBTQ+ youth.

These attacks are happening everywhere, so it's critical that people
across the country know of the lengths Governor DeSantis and Republicans
are willing to go in order to curb free speech, propagandize school
curriculums, and police us in classrooms, private workplaces, and doctors'
offices. DeSantis and Republicans are willing to inflict harm on the most
vulnerable in our state in order to shore up their extremist base. The
"Don't Say Gay" bill and other classroom censorship legislation will
disproportionately impact Black communities, communities of color, and
LGBTQ+ folks. It's unacceptable. Together, we can stop DeSantis and
Republicans' dangerous agenda by fighting back against white supremacy,
homophobia, and transphobia.

[ [link removed] ]Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to
your friends.

Thanks!

–Jack Petocz, GenZ for Change

Sources:

1. "Florida politicians behind 'Don't Say Gay' bill backed by corporations
that claim to support LGBTQ rights," Popular Information, February 17,
2022
[link removed]

2. "LEGISLATION AFFECTING LGBTQ RIGHTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY," ACLU, accessed
February 24, 2022
[link removed]

3. "Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Bill Would See Schools Out Students to
Parents," Newsweek, February 21, 2022
[link removed]

4. "Amendment that could out LGBTQ students withdrawn from Florida's
'Don't Say Gay' bill," ABC Action News, February 22, 2022
[link removed]

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