In a very controversial episode, a school in Florida, in the United States, recently banned a dictionary of LGBTQIA+ terms, harming inclusion and education on gender and sexual diversity. According to the Advocate portal, the St. Johns County school decided to eliminate the glossary that was available in its campus library.
According to the same source, the material was removed after school physician and member of the Florida Community Health Assembly, Elizabeth Reetz, received an email containing complaints from parents about the existence of the glossary.
The guide was available as part of a “safer sex” kit, containing condoms and other products related to the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. The dictionary included definitions for terms such as “gender identity,” “sex identity,” “asexual,” and “transgender.” Additionally, the glossary was intended to help students better understand the diversity of sexual identities and orientations.
However, the school's decision to remove it from the library has been condemned by the local LGBTQIA+ community and human rights advocates, who believe the decision prevents students from learning about sexual and gender diversity.
In response to the school's decision, controversy intensified and many members of the student community argued that the removal of the glossary makes students on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum feel marginalized.
This isn't the first time Florida has been the subject of controversy over conservative policies. The state has been the site of a series of political disputes regarding LGBTQIA+ rights in recent years, including a recent law banning transgender athletes from competing in high school and college sports.
Therefore, the removal of the glossary from the school library, a seemingly simple but essential resource for education and understanding of sexual diversity, is seen as yet another blow against the LGBTQIA+ community in the state of Florida. It is extremely important to highlight that the fight for equality and diversity continues and is fundamental to the creation of more inclusive and tolerant societies.
