In a campaign email to supporters, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said he would prioritize passing legislation similar to Florida’s parental rights bill, HB 1557, in Texas’ next legislative session in January.
“I will make this law a top priority in the next session,” Patrick wrote.
The Parental Rights in Education bill has been dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by dissenters. It prohibits the teaching of gender identity and sexual orientation from kindergarten until the third grade and any instruction that is not “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate” for older students.
Florida’s law relies on parents to report violations.
Under Florida’s bill, parents can sue a school district if they believe it has broken the law. If they win the lawsuit, parents will receive money and have their attorney fees refunded.
A group of LGBT activists has since filed a lawsuit against DeSantis over the law, saying in their complaint that “this effort to control young minds through state censorship — and to demean LGBTQ lives by denying their reality — is a grave abuse of power.”
In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Val Benavidez, executive director of the Texas Freedom Network, said that Patrick’s promise to bring similar legislation to the state is a “stain on Texas.”
“Gender expression by children is not something that is scary or harmful. What is scary is that political activists are grasping at power by overstepping into the lives of Texas families and education of students,” Benavidez said. “While politicians use hate speech that is far from center to harm our vulnerable youth, we will continue to love our children and make sure that all families are uplifted in public life.”
In contrast, Patrick characterized the bill as mandating that “schools cannot sexualize children in elementary school.” He noted that he wants to ensure parents can “exert a greater influence on their child’s learning environment.”
“This issue will be addressed in our interim Education Committee hearings under Parental Rights,” Patrick wrote.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has similarly said parents should have more rights when it comes to their children’s education; DeSantis stated this is the aim of his bill.
Though many activists have vocally opposed the bill, one survey suggests that their opinions may not reflect that of the general population.
According to a new poll by Public Opinion Strategies, “When Americans are presented with the actual language of the new Florida law, it wins support by more than a two-to-one margin.”
Results showed 61% of people said they supported the legislation, leaving only 26% opposed. Further, the poll found 67% of parents and 60% of suburban voters supported the bill, compared to 30% and 24% of each group who opposed it, respectively.
Moreover, the survey showed widespread support for the law, even in unexpected communities.
In the poll group of respondents who said they “know someone LGBTQ,” 61% supported the legislation, while 28% were opposed. Of the Democratic voters in the poll, 55% supported the law and 29% opposed it, and Biden voters in support of the bill outweighed opposers 53% to 30%.
Despite the poll’s results, some of the opposition to the law comes from a big name.
The Walt Disney Company has taken issue with DeSantis’ bill, prompting Patrick’s email to begin with a condemnation of the entertainment giant. The subject line read, “I AM DONE WITH DISNEY!”
After DeSantis signed his bill, Disney published a statement saying it would support organizations fighting to have it repealed and that it should have never made it into law.
In his email, Patrick linked to a website purportedly “Exposing Disney’s ‘Gay Agenda.'” The site included videos of an internal Disney staff meeting held after the “Don’t Say Gay” bill was passed, obtained by conservative activist Christopher Rufo.
According to National Review, one recording allegedly shows a Disney employee suggesting they add more queer characters into company productions. FOX News reported another shows an employee proposing removing gendered terms in greetings at Disney parks. For example, instead of saying, “Hello, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” the employee suggested the use of “Hello, friends” or “dreamers of all ages.”
In his email, Patrick calls for parents to boycott Disney and stop their children from interacting with Disney products, lest the company “indoctrinate the children of America with their radical ‘woke’ views.”