Teen LGBTQ rights advocates have been on the forefront of the battle in opposition to the controversial legislation, which prohibits educators from instructing college students in kindergarten by third grade about sexual orientation and gender identification. For older college students, dialogue about homosexual and transgender points must be “age appropriate or developmentally appropriate.”
Larkins, president and co-founder of his faculty’s Queer Student Union, testified in opposition to the invoice within the Florida Senate on Feb. 28 and led a walkout of greater than 500 highschool college students on March 7 in protest of the coverage.
Larkins was motivated to make a PowerPoint presentation on the Stonewall riots — a collection of uprisings in New York City in response to a police raid of a homosexual bar — when he realized the subject wasn’t being lined within the class curriculum, he mentioned. (Winter Park High School didn’t reply to a request for remark.)
Because Larkins’s class had lately been studying about pivotal historic occasions from the late Nineteen Sixties and early Nineteen Seventies in America, he mentioned he requested his trainer: “Are we going to learn about Stonewall?”
His trainer’s response, Larkins mentioned, was, “What’s Stonewall?”
So, in his spare time, Larkins put collectively a 10-minute presentation on the topic, which he subsequently shared together with his trainer. He was then given permission to current it to the category on March 31, Larkins mentioned.
During class, Larkins shared perception on the riots, which have been orchestrated by members of the LGBTQ group, and defined how they served as a vital juncture within the homosexual rights motion.
“We don’t learn queer history at all,” he mentioned. “It felt like something important that needed to happen, especially with the legislation in Florida.”
Shortly after Larkins tweeted the video, which was recorded by one among his classmates, a slew of strangers on social media cheered on his efforts.
“Thankful for you taking the time to educate your peers – this is how we build power,” one Twitter person wrote.
“I’m so sorry our schools are failing you, and so thankful you are #SayingGayAnyway and educating your peers,” a native guardian commented.
Despite the outpouring of help, the video has additionally garnered criticism, together with from folks condemning Larkins’s choice to put on a costume throughout his presentation. Others identified that the legislation doesn’t straight apply to his age group — an argument Larkins rebuts, on condition that the invoice bans faculty personnel from instructing on sexual orientation or gender identification “in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
Because of the anomaly of the language used within the laws, mother and father of scholars at any age can sue over perceived violations. Larkins’s concern, he mentioned, is that lecturers — even at highschool grade ranges — will chorus from brazenly discussing sexuality and gender identification within the classroom to keep away from any potential conflicts with mother and father.
DeSantis and different proponents of the invoice have mentioned that the measure is cheap and that oldsters, not lecturers, must be discussing sexual orientation and gender identification with their kids. “We will make sure that parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination,” DeSantis mentioned earlier than signing the invoice on March 28.
Republicans have additionally emphasised that the laws prevents “planned lessons” however doesn’t ban discussions between college students or stop lecturers from answering particular questions from a pupil.
Echo Izzo, 19, a senior on the faculty, mentioned they felt deeply disturbed that Stonewall had not initially been included within the class’s lesson plan.
“It is really sad and really frustrating,” Izzo mentioned. “I feel like a lot of people are not educated enough on these issues.”
When Izzo noticed Larkins’s presentation on social media, “I was so glad that it was actually being talked about,” they mentioned.
Larkins mentioned that as a queer individual, had the legislation been signed when he was a baby, “I don’t think I would have felt safe growing up.” He added that he has skilled bullying, harassment and homophobic assaults all through his life: “It is horrible, and I have struggled a lot.”
What has helped him really feel much less alone is being educated on the tradition and historical past of the LGBTQ group. But now he sees “a whole generation of kids in Florida growing up without that opportunity,” Larkins mentioned, declaring that extra younger Americans than ever are figuring out as LGBTQ. The legislation “is going to harm people like me.”
Larkins mentioned he feels “lucky” that he has “supportive” mother and father: “I’m able to speak out about it. Not everyone can.”
That’s why he’s dedicated to persevering with to teach the entire pupil inhabitants — and past — on what it’s wish to be an out LGBTQ pupil in Florida, he mentioned. In doing so, Larkins added, “I’ve been able to create a voice for myself and it’s shown others that their voice matters just as much.”
For him, the huge crowd on the walkout he organized, coupled with the overwhelming response to his historical past lesson, bolstered that his advocacy work is worth it: “New and uneducated allies became advocates, and I feel safer at school than ever before,” he mentioned.
Mikayla Pena, 16, a pupil at Winter Park High School who participated within the March 7 walkout, mentioned Larkins’s activism has inspired her to become involved.
“It’s important to always stand up for what you believe in,” she mentioned, including that she feels the newly signed legislation is “completely wrong.”
Pena says Larkins and different pupil advocates on the faculty have “really opened a lot of people’s eyes.”
Miguel Blas, 16, who’s concerned within the Queer Student Union, agreed.
“When the bill first came out, I had a lot of confusion and a lot of fear regarding how us gay teenagers are going to have to start acting at school,” he mentioned. “I have definitely learned a lot from Will, and he pushed me to get into this sort of activism.”
Larkins mentioned that is just the start of his advocacy work; he has lately turned his consideration to encouraging voter registration for the November midterm elections.
“We’re not going to stop fighting,” he mentioned. “As horrible as this all is, it’s inspired young people to get involved.”