By Anna Chiaradonna || Contributing Writer
Florida lawmakers are considering a law that will stiffen state control over sex education. The law’s sponsor, Rep. Stan McClain, says it would not only ban any school instruction about menstrual cycles before sixth grade, but also prohibit any discussion of it within the hours of the school day. Florida’s Republican-dominated legislature, supported by Governor Ron DeSantis, has already passed laws regulating discussions of gender and sexuality, dwindling the emphasis on diversity and inclusion in public schools. The latest proposal would however allow instruction in “acquired immune deficiency syndrome, sexually transmitted diseases, or health education.”
Girls typically begin menstruating between the ages of ten and fifteen. Public officials’ ignorance about female reproductive organs — including the reality that many girls prior to or entering the sixth grade already have started having their period — evidently shows the inanity of McClain’s proposed bill.
“Imagine a little girl in fourth grade going to the bathroom and finding blood in her panties and thinking that she is dying. She doesn’t actually know what’s going on. And her teacher does not even have the ability to tell her that this is a part of life,” says state representative Ashley Gantt in a video posted on Instagram.
This bill, if passed, will be a breeding ground for shame as it teaches girls to be silent about a natural bodily function.
Anna Chiaradonna is a contributing writer. Her email address is achiarad@fandm.edu.