.png)
Citrus County, Florida. March 8, 2022 - On a 22-17 vote, the Florida Senate joined the Florida House in passing HB 1557, the dangerous "Don't Say Gay" bill that blocks teachers and other staff from talking about LGBTQ issues or people and undermines existing protections for LGBTQ kids in schools.
Nancy Pierson, Democratic Candidate for Florida House District issued the following statement on the passage of the “Don’t Say Gay Bill:
“The Republican Senate Majority in Tallahassee, under the guise of parental rights, passed a bill today that endangers the well-being and safety of our children. Bigotry and hate have no place in our state, and using children as a tool for political aspirations is politics at its worst. I am heart-broken that hurting LGTBQ+ kids for political theater is what makes up the platform of the Republican Party in our state”
About the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” (HB 1557):
This dangerous bill — sponsored by Representative Joe Harding and Senator Dennis Baxley — blocks teachers from talking about LGBTQ issues or people and undermines existing protections for LGBTQ kids in schools.
This legislation is meant to stigmatize LGBTQ people, isolate LGBTQ kids, and make teachers fearful of providing a safe, inclusive classroom. The existence of LGBTQ students and parents is not a taboo topic that has to be regulated by the Florida Legislature.
About Nancy Person:
A native Michigander and graduate of the public schools, Nancy began her career as a sheriff’s deputy. After decades of service, she changed careers and became a registered nurse. She discovered the Nature Coast in her travels and fell in love with its natural beauty before relocating here. Her service as a nurse has brought her to the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, a pandemic that as we all know has been grossly mismanaged by Republican leaders in Tallahassee and elsewhere.
On that terrible afternoon of Januarys 6, 2021, she heard the radio cries from officers on duty at the Capitol as the line of law enforcement officers fell and seditionists stormed the Capitol Building. In that moment, she felt called to begin another path of services to our community. Her declaration of candidacy for Florida House was the first step on that new path.
###
