Florida Republicans eye new target: Flags

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Flags could be the latest casualty in Florida’s ongoing culture wars.

Flags heralding support for LBGTQ pride, Black Lives Matter and even Donald Trump would have to be taken down in classrooms and government buildings across Florida under new legislation introduced Wednesday by House Republicans.

GOP lawmakers contend removing all flags with a political viewpoint is necessary to save students from being “subliminally indoctrinated” with critical race theory, Marxism and transgender ideology. The proposal would also ban the Confederate flag from these places.

“Our taxpayer dollars should not be subsidizing political speech in government buildings and classrooms,” said state Rep. David Borrero (R-Sweetwater), a co-sponsor of the legislation. “It’s time we stopped … local governments and public school teachers from using classrooms and governments buildings as their indoctrination pulpit.”

The bill, FL HB901 (24R), requires K-12 schools, colleges, universities and government agencies, as well as local state government buildings, to remain politically neutral by targeting flags touching on viewpoints that explicitly include “partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender.”

Lawmakers advanced the proposal along party lines during its first House hearing, with Democrats joining dozens of LGBTQ advocates in opposition. A similar bill, FL SB1120 (24R) has been filed, but not heard or scheduled for a hearing, in the Senate.

Critics of the legislation claim it is an attempt by Republicans to quiet the voices of LGBTQ and minority communities, efforts they equate to “bullying” and “affirming hate” for building on past legislation. In 2023, GOP officials led by Gov. Ron DeSantis passed laws broadening the state’s prohibition on teaching about sexual identity and gender orientation, known by critics as “Don’t Say Gay,” banned transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming care and made it a criminal offense for someone to use bathrooms that don’t align with their sex at birth.

This year, there are several new bills proposed by lawmakers such as restricting the use of personal pronouns that don’t align with a person’s sex at birth in some workplaces.

“Affirming that Black Lives Matter is not ideology, displaying a pride flag does not hurt anyone,” said state Rep. Dotie Joseph (D-North Miami). “At bottom, what hurts people in this culture war codification is hate and … violence.”

Republicans, however, argue that flying flags besides the United States, Florida and POW-MIA banners can be divisive and have no place in public schools. One lawmaker in particular objected to Joseph’s classification of Black Lives Matter, railing on the organization because it “encouraged” riots and violence in city streets while racking up millions of dollars in donations.

“If that’s not ideological, I don’t know what is,” said state Rep. Berny Jacques (R-Seminole). “If this bill would accomplish that just that radical ideological flag is never flown above our government buildings, then it’s worth voting up.”

At least one Florida parent has sued a local school district over LGBTQ pride flags hanging in a classroom, although the challenge was ultimately rejected. In that case, centered around a Palm Beach County school, a circuit court judge ruled that “nothing in state law” or governing rules “imposes limits on its authority regarding the display of flags or addressing social issues in a seventh-grade classroom.”