Florida Republicans advanced a bill Wednesday that would ban teachers from wearing a rainbow flag lapel pin in public schools and universities.

A bill advanced by Florida Republicans on Wednesday would ban teachers and other government employees from displaying a rainbow flag – even wearing one as a lapel pin for a day – but they could hang the full-size flag of any “recognized nation” as long as they want, according to the bill’s sponsor.

Flag displays that depict a “racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint” would be banned from any state or local government building, including public schools and universities, under the bill authored by GOP Rep. David Borrero.

Opponents say the bill is inspired by hate. Borrero said it protects children and it would ban even lapel pins representing the flags of the LGBTQ+ and Black Lives Matter movements.

“Public classrooms should not be the place where our kids go to be radicalized and evangelized into accepting these partisan, radical ideologies,” Borrero said. “It’s wholly inappropriate to be putting those types of flags in front of public school students and in government buildings.”

  • Pons_Aelius
    26•6 months ago

    Flag displays that depict a “racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint”

    IANAL but wouldn’t the stars and stripes also fall under that definition?

    I keep hearing how it is the symbol of democracy, which I am fairly sure is a political ideology.

    • Reality Suit
      26•6 months ago

      Aren’t flags in general political? Not just what they depict, but literally flags.

      • @Dudewitbow@lemmy.zip
        4•6 months ago

        theyre political unless a flag is something super generic (e.g ones that might be used for a sport or something) to be used as an indicator off sorts.

      • FuglyDuckEnglish
        4•6 months ago

        I dunno. I once made this nifty flag for a pirate costume… I don’t think that was particularly political? I mean, I was like…12.