Florida high school, college students plan walkout over 'don't say gay' law

April 21 (UPI) -- Organizers of a fight against a Florida law that bans discussing sexual orientation or identity in the classroom have planned a school walkout and rallies in four cities on Friday.

The website Walkout 2 Learn called for high school and college students to walk out of classes in Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Sarasota at noon with rallies at 6 p.m.

The Parental Rights in Education Act, often referred to as the "don't say gay" law, requires teachers to reveal to parents if their children have "come out" -- or revealed -- to them that they are LGBTQ, as well as barring classroom instruction on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" with children younger than third grade "in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."

The Florida Department of Education expanded the provisions from grades 4-12, barring discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity unless either is "expressly required" by state academic standards" or is part of a reproductive health course or health lesson that parents can choose to have their child opt out of.

In a message on the Walkout 2 Learn website, the organizers encourage students to not be afraid of leaving school in an effort to send a message to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed the law and encouraged its expansion.

"Don't worry if your school threatens to punish you. We have lawyers and politicians who will support you. Students for generations have walked out and it's worked. Join us in joining them," the group said. "Our governor has forgotten that students have rights. We're here to remind him."

Democratic State Rep. Angie Nixon, located in Jacksonville, said she supported the walkout and rally.

"Republicans claim that they hate to cancel culture, however, they are literally the ones trying to cancel cultures," Nixon said. "They're trying to cancel our communities. They're trying to cancel the ability for our students -- our babies -- to learn, to be taught true history, Black history, LGBTQ history, trans history, our history, American history."

At an event in South Carolina, DeSantis praised the merits of the law.

"Gender ideology has no place in our K through 12 school system," DeSantis said. "It's wrong for a teacher to tell a student that they may have been born in the wrong body or that their gender is a choice and so we don't let that happen in Florida."

The Biden administration has opposed the law, with a White House statement after it took effect saying it limits "the freedom of their fellow Americans simply to be themselves.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing Thursday that President Joe Biden does not believe students in teachers in Florida should be treated as "pawns" in what she described as "a political game or a political stunt."

"We will continue to fight for students across the country to receive a world-class education ... free from discrimination and also censorship," she said.