Broward County passes controversial resolution for ‘LGBT issues in schools’

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the vote.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (FLV) – The Broward County School Board passed Tuesday a resolution adopting a National Day of Silence for the LGBT community on April 12, 2024.

The district voted to pass the resolution, along with the others, with a 6-2 vote.

The proposed recognition drew both approval and opposition from Broward County taxpayers to the school board.

In light of the controversy, the school board voted to add language to all 99 resolutions that were being considered, which stated they would be in compliance with federal and state law.

A number of laws and policies regarding gender ideology have been passed by Florida lawmakers and leaders within the last year. They include certain bathrooms being separated on the basis of sex and prohibiting classroom discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity through 12th grade.

The motion affirms a Day of Silence because of LGBT bullying and prevent harassment of students, particularly against physical violence and verbal threats. It cites the National Day of Silence in 2015, which brought students together from more than 9,000 K-12 students in 2015.

“The event has drawn significant attention to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues in schools over the years,” the resolution said.

One public speaker in dissent referenced bullying towards straight kids for refusing to participate in gay walkouts and events in schools. She iterated it’s cause for division and special categories for some students to feel more special than others, calling it wrong and divisive.

Many of the speakers referenced the need for schools to prioritize reading, writing, and arithmetic as opposed to issues that should be left at home to parent, or as some stated the “ABC’s” and 1-2-3’s.”

In favor of the resolution passing, a number of speakers emphasized the order’s acknowledgement, relevance, and existence of the LGBTQ community.

One speaker in favor addressed its building of inclusivity and unity towards them.

Another emphasized its more than academics and gives an opportunity for students to appreciate their differences and learn about themselves while acknowledging events, mentioning minority months such as African American, Mexican American and Latin American history months.