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As Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which would prohibit schools from even discussing LGBTQ sexual orientation or gender identity, advances through the state legislature, debate over the regressive policy is bringing out the worst opinions. And when it comes to bad opinions, who is more reliable than far-right pundit Ben Shapiro.
Shapiro, known for the quote “Facts don’t care about your feelings,” really feels that kids shouldn’t learn that gay people exist.
It started when Republican strategist Tim Miller commented on Twitter about a recent episode of Shapiro’s podcast.
"Most people don't care about how Tim Miller feels about whether he gets to present him and his husband to a bunch of 6 year olds. " - @benshapiro in today's refreshingly honest podcast demanding gay teachers and kids of gay parents be silenced in school.— Tim Miller (@Tim Miller) 1645040383
Miller, a vocal Republican critic of former President Donald Trump, expressed his disappointment that Shapiro would want a gay man such as himself to effectively hide who he is under the new Florida bill.
Shapiro responded on Twitter:
“Yes, most parents are correctly more concerned about how they educate their 6-year-old children than they are about your personal feelings.”
Continuing:
"Your opinions and your children are of no consequence to him. And if you don't let him have his way, he will be very hurt. Because he is the priority, not your kids."
Tim Miller demands that he decide how and in what context your 6-year-old child is taught about same-sex marriage. Your opinions and your children are of no consequence to him. And if you don't let him have his way, he will be very hurt. Because he is the priority, not your kids.— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1645048930
Shapiro presents himself as a Libertarian who wants minimal government intervention, and yet expects a very heavy hand from the government when it comes to LGBTQ+ people.
He opposed the Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, saying after it was announced that “Laws don’t mean anything” because of it. He’s also tried to argue that a man and a woman do a better job of raising children than a same-sex couple, despite research proving otherwise.
Shapiro’s tweet got people riled up, and they responded with exactly what they thought of his opinion.
other people get to exist even if it makes you uncomfortable to think about your kids finding out about it, benjamin.— A.R. Moxon (@A.R. Moxon) 1645071134
Facts don't care about your feelings. Facts care about MY feelings.— Shaenon K. Garrity (@Shaenon K. Garrity) 1645063794
The year 2022 and people like Ben want to pretend that teaching your child about same-sex marriage is a sensitive subject that must be taught at the right moment in their life. Quit the act, just say you\u2019re scared your kids will \u201cturn gay\u201d, and move on. Disingenuous freak.https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1494069620759842818\u00a0\u2026— Paul Harris (@Paul Harris) 1645118822
TLDR: Ben is a bigot who thinks same-sex marriage is not just "marriage."pic.twitter.com/GA3bY5I5ke— Damon (@Damon) 1645075703
The only reason any kid needs to be taught about same-sex marriage in 2022 is that people like Ben Shapiro keep working to make sure it\u2019s an \u201cother\u201d thing,https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1494069620759842818\u00a0\u2026— Justin Striebel (@Justin Striebel) 1645050323
The Parental Rights in Education bill, better known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, would prevent schools and classrooms from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity. A new amendment to the bill would also require schools to out children who are anything other than straight to their parents within six weeks of discovery.
The bill is seen as a regressive step in social discourse and presents the idea of being LGBTQ+ as something to be ashamed of.
Which leads many to ask Shapiro, when should kids learn non-straight people exist?
In your opinion, what is the appropriate age for a child to learn that gay people exist and can get married? Follow-up question, what do you think "teaching about same-sex marriage" even entails and why is it cause for concern, to you? What is the alleged damage to children here?— Cody Johnston (@Cody Johnston) 1645067540
same day they learn that straight people exist— \u0641 (@\u0641) 1645202242
As soon as kids are old enough to learn about marriage, they're old enough to learn about same-sex marriage. You don't own your children. They're not your slaves.— DarkMatter2525 (@DarkMatter2525) 1645060890
Hey, this is literally what you are doing. Literally.— Machine Pun Kelly (@Machine Pun Kelly) 1645057005
What is the appropriate age to learn that straights exist and can get married?https://twitter.com/lgbtqnation/status/1494696981922340865\u00a0\u2026— Wanderer of the Wastelands (@Wanderer of the Wastelands) 1645201514
One amendment would provide an avenue for parents to sue teachers and school districts if they don’t like what is being taught, which Shapiro also praised. This move to encourage vigilante lawsuits has become a popular tactic of right-wing bills, including Texas' 8 week abortion ban.