On Wednesday, Florida House Republicans introduced a new piece of legislation that aims to restrict certain flags in government buildings and schools, potentially leading to the prohibition of emblems like the LGBTQ+ pride flag.
The bill has sparked significant opposition from members of the LGBTQ+ community and activists in Florida. According to the proposed legislation, a governmental entity would be prohibited from erecting or displaying a flag representing a political viewpoint, encompassing politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation, gender, or political ideology viewpoints.
Lawmakers acknowledged that this bill could extend to flag displays associated with movements such as Black Lives Matter, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.
The Constitutional Rights, Rule of Law, and Government Operations Subcommittee in the Florida House voted 9-5 on Wednesday to approve the bill, designated as HB 901. Before advancing to Florida’s full House, the bill must clear the State Affairs Committee, according to the Times.
Simultaneously, LGBTQ+ advocates are closely monitoring several bills in Florida that could impact the LGBTQ+ community. Over a dozen bills in the state currently pose potential implications for LGBTQ+ individuals.
In the previous year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pursued what activists dubbed a “slate of hate” laws targeting various aspects of the daily lives of LGBTQ+ community members. Additionally, the administration expanded a law known as “Don’t Say Gay” and implemented a book ban targeting materials featuring LGBTQ+ identity.
