KindRED Pride Press Release – Florida’s Don’t Say Gay Bill

Backed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the Parental Rights in Education bill, commonly known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill has sparked outrage around the world. The bill would limit classroom discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity and encourage parents to sue schools or teachers that engage in these topics. It continues to move through the state House and Senate. LGBTQ+ advocates fear that if this bill is signed into law, it could act as a complete ban on the lessons on LGBTQ+ oppression, history and discussions about LGBTQ+ identities.

“We stand against measures opposing what we stand for: Diversity, Inclusion, Equality, Safe Expression, and Kindness,” said Tom Christ, Board Member of the KindRED Pride Foundation. “We believe one way to fight back is show our numbers. The first weekend in June is the perfect opportunity as it coincides with the 30-plus year tradition of RED Shirt Pride Days at Disney, which has a deep legacy of profound activism.”  

In the early 1990’s, the so-called Moral Majority staged a series of anti-LGBTQ demonstrations against the first Red Shirt Days at the Magic Kingdom that included raucous protests near the Disney property and banner planes flying overhead.  Despite these challenges, RED Shirt Pride Days flourished bringing millions of LGBTQ+ supporters and tourist dollars to Central Florida year after year.