Florida Governor DeSantis defends controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill
CBSN
As the controversial Parental Rights in Education bill, known to its critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, makes its way to the Senate floor, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis weighed in on the legislation and rejected the way it's being portrayed in the media.
At a press conference in Jacksonville on Friday, DeSantis defended the bill, saying it's about "no sexual instruction" given to young students, CBS Miami reports.
"When you actually look at the bill and it says 'no sexual instruction to kids pre-K through three,' how many parents want their kids to have transgenderism or something injected into classroom instruction?" DeSantis said. "It's basically saying for our younger students, do you really want them being taught about sex? And this is any sexual stuff. But I think clearly right now, we see a focus on transgenderism, telling kids they may be able to pick genders and all of that."
Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan. The silver military award, recognizing soldiers who've been personally engaged by an attacker during conflict, was considered an achievement in and of itself as well as an affirming rite of passage for the newly deployed. White had earned it for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire that broke out in the midst of her third mission in Kandahar province. All of them survived. She never mentioned the badge to anyone in her battalion.