Florida teacher felt she had to quit amid 'Don't Say Gay' rhetoric

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This Florida teacher married a woman. Now she’s not a teacher anymore.
Nicolette Solomon felt her mother’s words come through the phone and settle, heavy, in her stomach.

It was January, and her mother was talking about a new bill, just proposed in the Florida legislature, that would severely limit how teachers could discuss gender identity and sexual orientation with their students.

She wondered: Could she be herself and stay a teacher in Florida?

--
Although Florida’s law does not take effect until July 1, LGBTQ teachers in Florida felt its impact immediately. In Orlando, a sixth-grade science teacher decided to resign this spring after parents wrote a letter complaining that he had acknowledged his same-sex marriage at school. In Cape Coral, a middle-school art teacher lost her job after admitting her own pansexuality to students.
--

Part of her reticence [about talking about her marriage at school with students] came from the lack of support — veering into open animosity — she had faced from some colleagues ever since her first week on the job. She had long ago learned to nod and smile, swallowing her feelings, when other teachers told Solomon that her marriage was a violation, that it broke God’s rules, that it went against their religion and the way they believed the world should be.

Still, some students figured it out: some by looking up her wedding video or her Instagram, which mentioned her wife, and some by catching sight of her phone background, a wedding picture. When students presented her with this proof, Solomon briefly confirmed the marriage, then moved the conversation to other topics.
--

On Feb. 2, Solomon handed in her letter of resignation, effective immediately.

The final straw was when her supervisor implied she would face consequences for taking a week’s leave so she could get fertility treatments; she and Hayley were trying to have a baby. But the bigger problem was it no longer felt possible to be lesbian and a teacher in Florida. The years of homophobic comments from her colleagues now seemed enshrined in state law, their message — “you don’t belong here” — triumphant and irresistible.
 

ottawak

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This Florida teacher married a woman. Now she’s not a teacher anymore.
Nicolette Solomon felt her mother’s words come through the phone and settle, heavy, in her stomach.

It was January, and her mother was talking about a new bill, just proposed in the Florida legislature, that would severely limit how teachers could discuss gender identity and sexual orientation with their students.

She wondered: Could she be herself and stay a teacher in Florida?

--
Although Florida’s law does not take effect until July 1, LGBTQ teachers in Florida felt its impact immediately. In Orlando, a sixth-grade science teacher decided to resign this spring after parents wrote a letter complaining that he had acknowledged his same-sex marriage at school. In Cape Coral, a middle-school art teacher lost her job after admitting her own pansexuality to students.
--

Part of her reticence [about talking about her marriage at school with students] came from the lack of support — veering into open animosity — she had faced from some colleagues ever since her first week on the job. She had long ago learned to nod and smile, swallowing her feelings, when other teachers told Solomon that her marriage was a violation, that it broke God’s rules, that it went against their religion and the way they believed the world should be.

Still, some students figured it out: some by looking up her wedding video or her Instagram, which mentioned her wife, and some by catching sight of her phone background, a wedding picture. When students presented her with this proof, Solomon briefly confirmed the marriage, then moved the conversation to other topics.
--

On Feb. 2, Solomon handed in her letter of resignation, effective immediately.

The final straw was when her supervisor implied she would face consequences for taking a week’s leave so she could get fertility treatments; she and Hayley were trying to have a baby. But the bigger problem was it no longer felt possible to be lesbian and a teacher in Florida. The years of homophobic comments from her colleagues now seemed enshrined in state law, their message — “you don’t belong here” — triumphant and irresistible.
Looks like the Republican tactics are working.
 
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Belk

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This Florida teacher married a woman. Now she’s not a teacher anymore.
Nicolette Solomon felt her mother’s words come through the phone and settle, heavy, in her stomach.

It was January, and her mother was talking about a new bill, just proposed in the Florida legislature, that would severely limit how teachers could discuss gender identity and sexual orientation with their students.

She wondered: Could she be herself and stay a teacher in Florida?

--
Although Florida’s law does not take effect until July 1, LGBTQ teachers in Florida felt its impact immediately. In Orlando, a sixth-grade science teacher decided to resign this spring after parents wrote a letter complaining that he had acknowledged his same-sex marriage at school. In Cape Coral, a middle-school art teacher lost her job after admitting her own pansexuality to students.
--

Part of her reticence [about talking about her marriage at school with students] came from the lack of support — veering into open animosity — she had faced from some colleagues ever since her first week on the job. She had long ago learned to nod and smile, swallowing her feelings, when other teachers told Solomon that her marriage was a violation, that it broke God’s rules, that it went against their religion and the way they believed the world should be.

Still, some students figured it out: some by looking up her wedding video or her Instagram, which mentioned her wife, and some by catching sight of her phone background, a wedding picture. When students presented her with this proof, Solomon briefly confirmed the marriage, then moved the conversation to other topics.
--

On Feb. 2, Solomon handed in her letter of resignation, effective immediately.

The final straw was when her supervisor implied she would face consequences for taking a week’s leave so she could get fertility treatments; she and Hayley were trying to have a baby. But the bigger problem was it no longer felt possible to be lesbian and a teacher in Florida. The years of homophobic comments from her colleagues now seemed enshrined in state law, their message — “you don’t belong here” — triumphant and irresistible.


Oh look. The "completely unintended" consequences of the bill are coming to fruition.
 
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rturner76

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So if we don't allow our kids to hear the word gay in school, there won't be gay people anymore? Is that what they think will happen. Like people can be made gay just by hearing the word. Republicans are moving backward in time. Pretty soon we'll be talking about reinstituting segregation it seems with these archaic trends.
 
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ottawak

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So if we don't allow our kids to hear the word gay in school, there won't be gay people anymore? Is that what they think will happen. Like people can be made gay just by hearing the word. Republicans are moving backward in time. Pretty soon we'll be talking about reinstituting segregation it seems with these archaic trends.
Yes, many conservatives believe that people, especially children, can be "groomed" for LGBT.
 
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cow451

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Yes, many conservatives believe that people, especially children, can be "groomed" for LGBT.
Many on The radical right think these g-y tendencies are contagious. Perhaps N-95 masks will be ordered. :ebil:
 
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rturner76

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Many on The radical right think these g-y tendencies are contagious. Perhaps N-95 masks will be ordered. :ebil:
This extremism was in the closet until the Trump era. Now people are loud and proud about their bigotry. People's extremist views are being accepted as mainstream. It's a strange mixing of politics and religion which seem to be becoming one and the same. It's starting to make me a little nervous. I feel like if enough of these people get elected, we could be facing theocratic law in the future.
 
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cow451

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This extremism was in the closet until the Trump era. Now people are loud and proud about their bigotry. People's extremist views are being accepted as mainstream. It's a strange mixing of politics and religion which seem to be becoming one and the same. It's starting to make me a little nervous. I feel like if enough of these people get elected, we could be facing theocratic law in the future.
Under his eye….

Many evangelicals on the radical right would prefer a type of authoritarian rule based on what they consider to be consistent with “Biblical” ideology.
 
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Belk

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Many on The radical right think these g-y tendencies are contagious. Perhaps N-95 masks will be ordered. :ebil:
RDT_20211216_1630434697718194137185768.png
 
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rturner76

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Belk

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Wow, and we are trying to Make America Great Again by bringing back the hate. I'd rather bring back manufacturing than homophobia and racism etc.

I would like when we aspired to higher ideals. :)
 
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rturner76

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I would like when we aspired to higher ideals. :)
That is what some people feel like they are doing when they burn books. How are they gonna burn the internet I wonder?
 
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Blade

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WP says allot there. Be interesting to read this being reported by the right. Yeah can't just get a simple report any more..its far right or far left. Then we all know theres a flip side to this. I guess its how you choose to read and talk. For me it seemed the left kept saying GAY GAY GAY to something that didn't have the word gay in it. To play blind.. to something that was about what we should teach our kids. I am thinking the parents have this right. Then that state voted on something and it passed right? Its about the kids. They madea huge case about the BIBLE and PRAYER in school. Don't need some teacher up there talking about their life and JESUS right? To this day ..its in the news about those that did said something about the bible or prayer or just talking about Christ.

Only since someone said the name Trump.. shall I talk about what people called me and what the left said about all those people that voted for Trump.. and even here just for voting for president Trump?
 
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muichimotsu

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And this is tame compared to the TN one, HB 800, which I'd heard about vaguely, but if these specifics are accurate, it's saying you can't even discuss it even in a "neutral" context in K-12. So essentially trying to sweep the whole thing under the rug. Thankfully, it appears to be dead in the water according to legislative records, so that's a good sign
 
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I would still consider this a good thing that she's left a position of influence.


You're right.

If she'd stayed there ,there was a real risk her students would come to see gays and lesbians as normal, ordinary people. :(

OB
 
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