Generally speaking, if you’re going to speak out in favor of or against a policy or a piece of legislation, it’s a good idea to get your points in order and make sure that they’re sound.
Unfortunately, when it comes to, say, Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, folks like Patton Oswalt have missed that memo by several miles. But to be fair, we don’t expect woke celebrities to do their homework. We’d like to think that politicians, though, would be a little more careful. Particularly politicians who are supposed to be very familiar with the subject material.
Alas, instead, we get people like Democratic Florida State Sen. Shevrin Jones, who, rather than setting the record straight for CNN’s Brianna Keilar, took the “Don’t Say Gay” narrative and ran with it:
Fla. Dem @ShevrinJones warns bill restricting LGBT instruction in kindergarten will increase suicide.
“The Trevor Project did a study, come to find out that LGBTQ youth are 4x more likely to commit suicide. Not because of the sexual orientation, but b/c of how they're treated" pic.twitter.com/A8C1uHcdFV
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) March 9, 2022
OK, but … what does that have to do with the Parental Rights in Education bill?
What? @brikeilarcnn your question is nonsensical. The legislation in question has *nothing* at all to do with anyone "realizing" they are gay. It is about classroom instruction for 5-8-year-old children.
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) March 9, 2022
Completely ignores that the study was in adolescents in the 11-16 range. Don't think there are really that many 5-8 year-olds who are suicidal over grappling with their sexuality. And why would a public school teacher be the voice of reason and not the parents anyway?
— Zona Peligrosa (@zona_peligrosa) March 9, 2022
Hey @brikeilarcnn and @ShevrinJones Is there an epidemic of 5 year old children in the closet today? How many 5y/os are you talking to about their sexual preferences / gender identities? Lemme answer: none. Plus, your entire premise is false. There is no don’t say gay bill.
— Trey Radel (@treyradel) March 9, 2022
There is no “Don’t Say Bill,” nor is there any real-world or scientific basis to Keilar’s and Jones’ criticisms.
For the purposes of a study such as this, how helpful is it to lump LGBTQ together? I would think that being merely gay is a very different mindset than gender dysphoria. https://t.co/wnA6khxeUc
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) March 9, 2022
You would think that because it’s true. But politicians (and news anchors, while we’re at it) who are more motivated by a woke agenda than they are by doing right by vulnerable children don’t care.
This is garbage. They’re talking about 5 YEAR OLDS. They’re sexualizing KINDERGARTNERS. Adults of any persuasion, gay or straight or whatever, must stop projecting their issues onto children. These are adult issues and we can deal w them but stop messing with the children. https://t.co/87N6D1vPPY
— Tammy Bruce (@HeyTammyBruce) March 9, 2022
Why can’t the media focus on the legislation instead of the hype? I don’t want a liberal teacher talking to a 5-8 year old about this. It needs to be a discussion at a later age. Let the kids be kids first.
— Fritzgalen (@fritzgalen72) March 9, 2022
Because the hype is worth more to the Left than the truth.
"Kindergartners are going to kill themselves if I can't talk to them about sex."@shevrinjones sounds like a junkie who will say anything to get a fix. https://t.co/458QDjDal6
— The Partyman (@PartymanRandy) March 9, 2022
If people are going to commit suicide because a teacher doesn’t discuss sexual preferences with a kindergartner, they need to be Baker Acted. https://t.co/xRDLrHQaRJ
— Sunny McSunnyface 🇺🇦 🌻 (@sunnyright) March 9, 2022
It’s very difficult for us to take the criticisms of this bill seriously when those criticisms are coming almost exclusively from unserious people.
When all else fails, use emotional blackmail.
— Ill Mannered Neanderthal 🇺🇸 (@wakeari60) March 9, 2022
It’s pretty gross. But it’s a favorite tactic of liberal politicians and, of course, of liberal media.
The modern media is basically a never ending panic attack over occasional attempts at common sense https://t.co/HtCDqmnDW1
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) March 9, 2022
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