(TruthAndLiberty.com) – PEN America, a watchdog with a focus on free expression, stated that freedom of expression was under attack in Florida because of Governor Ron DeSantis (R).
As they noted, in Florida there was an unprecedented case of censorship and the system was being rigged in a way that forced dissenting voices to remain silent while it empowered those who were in positions of power. They added that this type of assault on freedom of expression has not occurred to such an extent anywhere else in recent history.
As evidence for their claims, the group pointed to Florida’s Stop W.O.K.E. Act which blocked all teachings regarding race and gender in business and schools. The “Don’t Say Gay” bill, as it has been dubbed, also blocks all teachings in schools on the topic of sexual identity and sexual orientation.
Earlier this year in St. Petersburg, Florida an LGBTQ advocacy group issued a travel advisory warning that this meant that Florida was potentially an unsafe place to visit or take residence in. The advisory was a result of all the recent laws that had been passed in the state that targeted the LGBTQ community, loosened any restrictions on gun control, and put blocks to accessing reproductive health care. In the advisory, the group noted that overall the policies and laws in Florida were targeting “basic freedoms” and could lead to harm to both a person’s safety and health.
PEN America has been advocating against the recent book bans in libraries and schools as often the banned books deal with questions regarding sex, gender, and race.
Copyright 2023, TruthAndLiberty.com
