JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Florida lawmakers advanced a bill (HB 901) Wednesday that would ban political flags, including ones related to race and gender, from being flown or displayed by the government on public property.
The prohibition would apply to government buildings, public schools, colleges, and universities.
“In far too many circumstances our students attend classrooms where they are taught in an environment where they’re not just learning reading writing and arithmetic, but they’re also being subliminally indoctrinated with critical race theory, Marxism, transgender ideology,” said bill sponsor State Representative David Borrero (R-Doral).
READ: Florida lawmaker proposes bill to ban pride flags from government buildings, facilities
Roughly 50 members of the public came to testify on the bill during its first committee stop.
Most were against it, including Kat Townsend who has a trans child.
She argued the legislation seeks to strip LGBTQ+ youth of safe spaces in the classroom.
“Human rights are not political. My daughter’s existence is not political,” said Townsend.
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Jon Harris Maurer with Equality Florida argued the bill leaves many questions unanswered, as the bill sponsor indicated it would apply not only to traditional flags but also to depictions of flags.
“If it’s about images and emblems does that mean things like historical campaign materials in your offices now have to be stripped? That ‘Make America Great Again’ hat must be taken off your shelf? How about the Confederate monuments that are still on local government grounds?” said Borrero.
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Free speech issues were also raised, but the bill’s co-sponsor State Representative Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay) argued in his closing that the bill only restricts government speech and the speech of government employees on the jobs.
He contended case law makes clear the First Amendment does not apply in those situations.
“If these people want to come in here wearing the Hamas flag or any other flag around them, they can do that. They’re here in their private capacity, but those flags don’t go at the back of this room,” said Fine.
The bill passed on a vote down party lines.
It has one more committee stop before reaching the House floor.
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