'They Think Gay Can Be Caught Like A Disease': Protester Over 'Don't Say Gay' Bill

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — College and high school students in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area walked out of classrooms at noon Thursday to protest the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill nearing passage in the legislature that would prevent classroom discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Teenagers and young adults protested the bill, which passed in the state House of Representatives in a 69-47 vote Feb. 25, and is soon to be considered in the State Senate. Protests were held statewide, including at Gibbs High School, Largo High School and at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

Jack Petocz, 17, a gay student at Flagler Palm Coast High School, organized the event on social media.

Shayna Nuenez, a freshman at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, stood with a group of students near the campus' bull statue with LGBTQ flags and discussed their concerns about silencing sexual orientation topics in school curriculum.

"I think that this whole thing is an initiative to try to continue to suppress education on minorities and oppressed groups," Nuenez told a Patch reporter. "Who's to say that you can omit that from public education and in comparison to everything else that happened in history? It's just shamelessly discriminatory."

In a protest at Brandon High School, students shouted, "We say gay" in response to the bill, Fox News reported.

Supporters say the bill would give families more authority over what is said and taught in classrooms.

The Parental Rights in Education bill does not ban the word "gay" in schools, but it would prevent teachers from using lesson plans about gender identity and sexual orientation for kindergarten through third grade.

The bill prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels; requires school districts to notify parents of healthcare services; and authorizes parents to bring legal action against school districts, according to the Florida House of Representatives website.

LGBTQ students at the USF walkout talked about the uncertainties and confusion experienced as children who knew there was something different about them, but couldn't identify it. And said schools should be a place where youths can ask questions and talk about topics.

"When I was a kid, no one ever taught me what being gay was or being bi,"Gabriela Ocampo, a bisexual sophomore student, told Patch. "That wasn't something that was ever discussed with me. I remember when I started questioning my sexuality, I was terrified because I didn't know if it was right or wrong."

They eventually went to a trusted friend and asked them if they knew anything about when a person is attracted to both boys and girls.

"My friend told me that it's OK, and you're allowed to feel that way and like who you like," Ocampo said.

Nuenez, a bisexual student, said when politicians who support the bill discuss it, they have a common belief that gay is something that can be conditioned or caught like a disease.

"It's gonna happen anyway if a child is gay," Nuenez said.

Other LGBTQ students at the protest said hiding information from kids creates an unsafe environment and creates more stereotypes of a minority community.

"If you tell kids about minority communities, the LGBTQ community and other identities, then it gives them the opportunity to understand themselves and to communicate their thoughts and beliefs in a safe environment," Kristin Cascateo, a bisexual sophomore, told Patch.

Petocz, the student who organized this movement, was suspended from school Thursday following the walkout, according to The Daytona Beach News Journal.

"Following the protest, I was called into the principal’s office, told I was disrespectful and openly advocating against staff," Petocz told the outlet. "They suspended me from campus until further notice. I informed the principal I wasn’t going to speak with him and was going to talk to a lawyer."

Pecotz told the News-Journal Principal Greg Schwartz had an issue with Pecotz bringing 200 Pride flags to school for the protest, and that Schwartz told him he wouldn't be allowed to hand them out.

At least 20 schools in Florida participated in the walkout Thursday.