School board members in Miami rejected a proclamation early Thursday morning that would have recognized October as “LGBTQ history month” in the latest example of Florida’s parental rights laws influencing public education.
The decision, which came around 1 a.m. after hours of public comment and debate, illustrates how local education policy has changed since 2021, when Miami-Dade County school board members last acknowledged LGBTQ history month. Over the last two years, the school board in Miami, like many other counties, has been reshaped with candidates aligned with Gov. Ron DeSantis and conservative leaders who support the parental rights policies labeled as “Don’t Say Gay” by opponents.
“This is about someone’s sexual preference, and not a cultural issue,” said Roberto Alonso, a Miami-Dade County school board member endorsed by DeSantis who voted against the recognition. “It’s imposing ideologies and a sexual discussion that should not be happening inside of our schools.”
Someone should check back in with Roberto Alonso in February when he will, no doubt, be opposing high-school Valentine’s Day dances as “someone’s sexual preference, and not a cultural issue […] a sexual discussion that should not be happening inside of our schools.”