The Political Insider

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education bill into law yesterday and used the opportunity to slam Hollywood critics for mislabeling it the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.

The legislation restricts teachers and school districts from discussing gender identity and topics surrounding sexuality in the classroom from kindergarten through the third grade.

Common sense, to most people.

Critics, including celebrities who have little comprehension of what is actually in the bill, have seized on the catchphrase to try and denounce the legislation as banning the word ‘gay.’

In one of the more embarrassing displays of ignorance at the Oscars Sunday evening- Will Smith aside – hosts Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, and Regina Hall danced while singing the word ‘gay’ repeatedly.

They clearly haven’t read the bill and there’s some question any of them would even comprehend it if they did. Still, that hasn’t stopped demagogues from peddling misinformation.

RELATED: Ron DeSantis Signs Bill Requiring High School Students To Pass A Financial Literacy Course

DeSantis Hammers Hollywood Critics of Parental Rights Bill

DeSantis hammered Hollywood critics who oppose the parental rights bill banning teachers from giving classroom instruction on “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” in kindergarten through third grade.

“In Florida, we not only know that parents have a right to be involved, we insist that parents have a right to be involved,” DeSantis said at a press conference.

He went after the left, accusing them of pushing false narratives about the bill.

“You’ve seen a lot of sloganeering, um, and fake narratives, by leftist politicians, by activists, by corporate media. And you still see it even today, after a lot of this stuff has been debunked,” he said.

“Understand, if you are out protesting this bill you are by definition putting yourself in favor of injecting sexual instruction to 5-, 6- and 7-year-old kids,” DeSantis said at a press conference last week.

“I think most people think that’s wrong. I think parents especially think that’s wrong.”

RELATED: Ron DeSantis Makes A Stand For Women’s Sports – Declares Emma Weyant The True NCAA Swimming Champion Over Lia Thomas

Badge of Honor

DeSantis pivoted to Hollywood liberals and suggested he wasn’t about to be lectured to by the Harvey Weinstein set.

“Someone told me that there’s even people in Hollywood that are, that are opposed um, you know, to, to providing protections for parents and enforcing parents’ rights,” DeSantis said.

“You know, the one thing I’ll say about that is if the people who held up degenerates like Harvey Weinstein up as exemplars and as heroes and as all that — if those are the types of people that are opposing us on parents’ rights, I wear that like a badge of honor,” he added to uproarious applause.

Governor DeSantis’ efforts to transform parental rights in education have been wide-ranging and go beyond combatting false ‘don’t say gay’ narratives.

He introduced the Stop WOKE Act allowing parents to file lawsuits against schools teaching critical race theory (CRT) and is poised to sign it after the Florida legislature passed it earlier this month.

“We won’t allow Florida tax dollars to be spent teaching kids to hate our country or to hate each other,” he said.

He also took a stand for female athletes in collegiate sports.

DeSantis issued a proclamation declaring female collegiate swimmer Emma Weyant the “rightful winner” of the NCAA championship 500-yard freestyle event over transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.

The declaration blasts the NCAA for allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports.

“By allowing men to compete in women’s sports, the NCAA is destroying opportunities for women,” he said.

Last week, DeSantis also signed legislation requiring high school students to pass a financial literacy course before graduating.