For the third year in a row, the Miami-Dade County School Board has decided not to recognize October as LGBTQ+ History Month. This decision comes after a heated school board meeting on Wednesday, where community members expressed mixed opinions. Some supported the inclusion of LGBTQ+ history, while others opposed it, wanting to limit discussions of sexuality and queerness in schools.
According to Local 10, proponents of the measure stressed the importance of embracing all facets of history to nurture empathy among students. "They are in a school district that celebrates our diversity, that lets our children know they are loved and valued no matter what they are, who they are, who they love, what they become," one speaker ambitiously sought to clarify at the meeting.
In contrast, opposition groups expressed concerns about potential oversteps into the realm of curriculum and the role parents play in imparting such knowledge. NBC Miami reported a speaker's adamant declaration: "Young children do not need to learn about sexuality and queerness in school. I want to be the one teaching my child if and when he is ready. We want to keep this out of the schools. Please vote no we will not allow one more inch."
Board member Lucia Baez-Geller, who proposed the item and is currently in the race for Congress, assured that the recognition would be purely ceremonial, not intended to alter the curriculum. "This item is solely a symbolic gesture to recognize LGBTQ History Month as we do so many endorsements throughout the year," Baez Geller stated earlier, as per NBC Miami. The debate comes against a backdrop of legal scrutiny, propelled by the Parental Rights in Education Law, which prescribes restrictions on classroom discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation.
Despite Baez-Geller’s assurances that the measure was symbolic and legally compliant, the board voted 5-3 against recognizing LGBTQ+ History Month. This decision contrasts with Broward County Public Schools, which passed a similar proclamation by a 6-3 vote and has recognized the month for over ten years. In Miami-Dade, the last recognition of LGBTQ+ History Month was in 2021, showing a consistent pattern of not acknowledging it since then, as Local10 highlighted.
