'Gay, Gay, Gay': Why Oscar Hosts Took a Dig at Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Bill

What is the proposed 'Don't Say Gay Bill'? We explain.

"Gay, gay, gay, gay," the Oscars hosts said, taking a dig at 'Don't Say Gay' bill.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@Openly)

The word 'gay' was repeated multiple times by Oscars 2022 hosts Wanda Skyes, Amy Schumer, and Regina Hall – seen to be a not-so-thinly-veiled dig at the controversial 'Don't Say Gay' bill passed earlier this month in Republican-controlled state of Florida.

"We're going to have a great night tonight, and for those people in Florida we're going to have a gay night," said openly gay Skyes, to which both Schumer and Hall, repeated the word many times.

While the dig drew wide applause from the audience, the bill itself has been drawing a lot of flak, with not just social media outrage but also employees of Disney asking their company to do better. What does the bill say? Here's a short explainer.

What's the Bill About?

The bill is formally known as the 'Parental Rights in Education' bill, and has been dubbed 'Don't Say Gay'.

It places restrictions on schools, in Florida, from teaching children about sexual orientation and gender issues.

Failure to comply, will put teachers in a place where they could be sued by parents.

The bill was passed by Florida's House of Representatives on 24 February, and Senate on 8 March. If it is signed to be a law, it would come to effect on 1 July.

The Controversial Lines

The bill explicitly states that:

“Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through [third grade]” and “in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards in other grades".

To break it down, the proposed law prohibits “classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels or in a specified manner”.

It goes on to add that parents “may bring an action against a school district to obtain a declaratory judgement”.

The court may also award damages and attorney’s fees if it finds that a school violated the measure.

Pushback Against the Proposed Law

The opponents of the proposed legislature have been arguing that the wording of the bill is vague and that it does not divide what “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” is, and leaves it open-ended for interpretation.

A joint statement by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the LGBTQ+ awareness organisation has issued a warning that the law could harm a community that already reports high rates of seriously considering suicide.

“Researchers largely agree that at least part of the reason for the elevated rates of suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts, and poor mental health outcomes found among LGBTQ people is the social stigma, prejudice, and discrimination that contributes to the minority stress of being LGBTQ+,” the statement read, reported Al Jazeera.

"This is really about making it impossible for LGBTQ+ young people to speak for themselves," said Executive Director of advocacy group Equality Florida Nadine Smith told BBC.

How is Disney Involved?

According to media reports, Disney financially supported every sponsor of the bill, including Governor Rick Desantis, who voted for the anti-LGBTQIA+ bill.

After employee backlash, Disney CEO Bob Chapek reportedly sent an internal memo stating that the media conglomerate continued to support queer rights, but that "corporate statements do very little to change minds".

Employees are calling for the company to do more as it is a major tourism driver in the state, drawing some 58 million people per year to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.

After employees staged a walkout, Chapek apologised for the company's failure to be a “stronger ally” – adding that Disney would pause all political donations in Florida and donate donate $5 million to LGBTQ+ rights groups.

What's the White House Stand?

US President Joe Biden called the bill a “hateful legislation”, and promised that his administration would “continue to fight for the protection and safety” the LBGTQ+ community deserves.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that it was the passing of "hateful legislation targeting vulnerable students".

Currently, four US states – Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas have laws on the books that limits sex education to heterosexual activity.

(With inputs from BBC, Al Jazeera)