Florida Republicans Pass School Bills on Pronouns, Diversity

Florida Republicans on Wednesday approved bills to ban diversity programs in colleges and prevent students and teachers from being required to use pronouns that don’t correspond to someone’s sex, building on top priorities of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The two proposals were given final passage by the Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate. DeSantis is expected to sign the bills into law.

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{snip} Republicans in the House gave final passage to a DeSantis priority bill that bans colleges from using state or federal funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Such initiatives, sometimes referred to as DEI, have come under increasing criticism from Republicans who argue the programs are racially divisive.

Republican lawmakers in at least a dozen states have proposed more than 30 bills this year targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in higher education, an Associated Press analysis found using the bill-tracking software Plural.

“They want rote belief in the same thing. They say they want inclusion, but they don’t unless you believe what they believe,” said Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican. “These programs are being used all over the country. Imagine how great our universities will be when we are the only ones who are not.”

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