Moving Equality Forward

Hello!

This Tuesday, May 3, Duval County School Board member Charlotte Joyce will introduce a resolution in support of the recently passed 'Don't Say Gay' bill.  The resolution also suggests rolling back protections that are in the district's LGBT Student Support Guide.  

We are hoping to defeat this resolution at the meeting and need public speakers in opposition to this resolution. 

The meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. and will be held at the Duval County School Board Building

1701 Prudential Dr. Jacksonville, FL 32207

Cline Auditorium, 1st Floor

The meeting agenda can be found HERE. The resolution is item # 22. The resolution can be viewed HERE: 

If you are able to attend the meeting:

Plan to arrive 20-25 minutes early so you can get through security and obtain a seat in the auditorium.  Once the auditorium is full, you will be sent to overflow rooms which are not ideal. 

We want our supporters in the auditorium where they are visible. 

Anyone planning to speak needs to complete a speaker’s card and turn it in before 6:20pm.  Put on the card your information and that you are against the proposed resolution/item 22. 

Late cards are not accepted.  Turn your card into the administrative staff and it will be time stamped. People will be called to speak in the order the cards were turned in to the administrative staff.  

Do not bring signs, noise makers, banners etc. into the building.  

You will be given up to 3 minutes to speak when you are called and a time will display how much time you have.  When your time is almost up, the light by the podium will turn yellow. When your time is up, it will turn red.  Finish your sentence, thank the school board and leave the podium.  Always remain polite and courteous even if others around you may not be.

What should I say?

• State your name, and the name of any organization you are speaking on behalf of if applicable
• Thank the school board for the opportunity to speak
• Tell a story about why defeating this resolution is so important to you, your family, your student/child etc.  What message would passing this resolution send to you or your child? 

If needed, supplement your message with some of the points below:

The Duval County School Board has an obligation to it students to provide educational excellence for every student, every day and has promised to  intentionally focus on student achievement, safety and well-being

Somewhere between 18.7% and 25% of Duval County High School students identify on the LGBTQ spectrum according to Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data from 2019

We know from data collected during the 2019 Duval County Youth Risk Behavior Survey that self-identified LGB students report these following adverse experiences at significantly higher rates than their non-LGBT identified peers:

• Significantly more likely to report not going to school because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to or from school (on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey)
• Significantly more likely to report they were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property (such as a gun, knife, or club, one or more times during the 12 months before the survey)
• Significantly more likely to report they were bullied on school property (ever during the 12 months before the survey)

Is it no surprise then that LGB identified youth also were:

• Significantly more likely to report they felt sad or hopeless (almost every day for >=2 weeks in a row so that they stopped doing some usual, ever during the 12 months before the survey)
• Significantly more likely to report seriously considered attempting suicide (ever during the 12 months before the survey)
• Significantly more likely to report attempting suicide (one or more times during the 12 months before the survey)

Demand to know what the Duval County School Board will be doing to ensure the safety and well being of its students, especially their LGBTQ students given the disparities those youth experience. 

Other talking points:

• A lawsuit has been filed challenging the constitutionality of the Don’t Say Gay bill on 1st Amendment, 14th Amendment, and violations of federal nondiscriminaiton laws.
• The Don’t Say Gay bill is nothing to be praised:
  • It targets vulnerable youth and their families
  • It allows for frivolous lawsuits to be filed against the district and even if the district wins they are on the hook for the legal expenses thus draining resources from educating youth.
  • Duval County students walked out of class to protest this bill.  They believe it to be harmful.
• Specific to the Resolution:
  • The actual Don’t Say Gay bill that was passed recognizes students should not be outed to their family  if it could impact their safety or well-being. This resolution takes a more hostile approach to students by encouraging the outing of students to their families without any regard for their safety.  Over 40% of youth who are homeless in Jacksonville identify as LGBT and many became homeless because their family rejected them.
  • In light of the ambiguity of the law, the District needs guardrails that provide guidance to school personnel as they respond to LGBTQ students and their families.  What are you going to do to support these youth and their families in light of the fears that this law has created?

If you are unable to attend the meeting, or if you want to put your concerns in writing in addition to speaking, consider writing an email or leaving a message for your school board member.

How to Contact the Board Office

E-Mail:

• District 1 - The Honorable Dr. Kelly Coker| cokerk@duvalschools.org
• District 2 - The Honorable Elizabeth Andersen andersene1@duvalschools.org
• District 3 - The Honorable Cindy Pearson| pearsonc1@duvalschools.org
• District 4 - The Honorable Darryl Willie| willied@duvalschools.org
• District 5 - The Honorable Warren A. Jones | jonesw2@duvalschools.org 
• District 6 - The Honorable Charlotte Joyce | joycec@duvalschools.org
• District 7 - The Honorable Lori Hershey | hersheyl@duvalschools.org

Phone:

• District 1 - The Honorable Dr. Kelly Coker | 390-2371
• District 2 - The Honorable Elizabeth Andersen | 390-2386
• District 3 - The Honorable Cindy Pearson| 390-2239
• District 4 - The Honorable Darryl Willie | 390-2374
• District 5 - The Honorable Warren A. Jones | 390-2372
• District 6 - The Honorable Charlotte Joyce | 390-2373
• District 7 - The Honorable Lori Hershey | 390-2375

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday and thank you for helping to defeat this harmful and unnecessary resolution.

Sincerely, 

Several LGBTQ and Allied Leaders in Jacksonville

As a parent there is only one thing I want for my  children; for them to know that they are loved and accepted exactly as  they are, without exception. As the mother of a bisexual child, I cannot  fathom our home not being a safe space for her to exist, question, and  discover her place in the world. But I know that not every home is like  ours. Not every parent feels the way I do. In fact, as a progressive  Christian parent, I have been forced to acknowledge that my approach to  parenting my child is often questioned at best and judged at worst. 

I  will be the first to tell any parent that conversations about gender,  sexuality, etc. are not easy to have. It can require parents to mute  their knee-jerk reactions, silence their fears in favor of love, and to  do their homework so they can best support their (and our) children. I  will also be the first to say that we will not always get it right and  it is imperative that both we and our children have access to the  trained guidance and support of teachers, the ally-ship of guidance  counselors and the support of their peers. I also agree that parents and  legal guardians have the right to be informed of developmental and  educational issues by schools at large. 

All  of that being said, our children spend roughly 40 hours per week in  educational environments and another estimated 10 hours per week in  extra-curricular school activities. This equates to more than half of  their waking hours at school. When read in its entirety, Florida’s  pending HB 1557 (informally known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill), amounts  to nothing more than state sanctioned manipulation of teachers,  administrators and support. 

Having  read the bill and its amendments in their entirety, I can candidly  state that there is nothing but damage to be done through its  ratification. Teachers will be limited and subsequently culpable for  simply providing a safe and supportive environment for precious children  and their families. Without a doubt, this is a tumultuous &  divisive topic and as a parent, I strongly urge you to read the full  language of HB 1557 (along with other legislation on the docket for  Florida) and to remember that ignorance and bigotry breed best in  closed-minded environments where control is the primary goal and silence  is the catalyst. 

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                                                                                                          -Brandi Cortes

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Imagine that you cannot talk about who you truly are or about the fact you have two dads, in a safe space. You cannot talk about who your parents are. No one has the right to re-write someone’s story. It is their story to tell. A child should not be punished for who they are ever! School should be a place of safety and not fear. Our children should be able to feel safe in school to speak to who they are and be able to hear all of the facts and history of their community.  

                                                                                                          -Christopher Collinsworth

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