Los Angeles County has barred official travel to Florida over the state’s recently enacted Parental Rights bill. Leftists have labelled the legislation as the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” over a provision that bars the teaching of sex education in grades K-3.
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted this week to bar staffers from traveling to Florida unless it would “seriously harm the county’s interests.” The county cited the new Florida law as justification, arguing that it discriminates against the LBGT community by barring the teaching of gender ideology and same-sex education to students in kindergarten through grade three.
Sheila Kuehl and Hilda Solis, who both serve as supervisors in Los Angeles County, issued a statement on the Florida law earlier this week. “Schools should be spaced that foster open discussion, critical thinking, meaningful engagement and the safe exploration of ideas,” the pair wrote. “The implementation of this bill would create an atmosphere that stifled such a culture and stifles learning itself.”
The board also banned official travel to Texas this week after the state categorized some transgender-related medical procedures for minors as child abuse. In that motion, L.A. County accused Texas of preventing children from discovering “who they are and feel secure in their sense of self.
“This order is discriminatory, harmful and just plain cruel,” Solis and Kuehl wrote.
Christina Pushaw, who serves as press secretary for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, shrugged off the travel ban in a statement. “The woke bureaucrats running LA County are shooting themselves in the foot with their political grandstanding,” Pushaw said. “This misguided policy is a punishment for Los Angeles County employees – not for Florida.”
The Los Angeles County-imposed travel bans to Texas and Florida do not pertain to private citizens.
