In a recent CNN interview, U.S.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg criticized a proposed
Florida bill dubbed “Don't Say Gay.”
The legislation seeks to prohibit
discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in a school
setting. Other provisions in the bill would require school
administrators to notify parents if a student identifies as LGBTQ at
school, effectively outing students to their parents.
The bill has cleared pivotal committees
in the Florida House and Senate.
(Related: Biden
condemns Florida's “Don't Say Gay” bill; Calls it “hateful.”)
When CNN Newsroom host Jim
Sciutto asked Buttigieg whether the legislation was dangerous, he
answered, “absolutely.”
“And the reason is that it tells
youth who are different or whose families are different that there’s
something wrong with them out of the gate, and I do think that
contributes to the shocking levels of suicidal thoughts and suicide
attempts among LGBTQ youth,” Buttigieg said.
“Any age where it’s appropriate to
talk about a kid’s mom and dad, then it should be appropriate to
talk about a kid’s mom and mom or dad and dad or whatever family
structure we live with. That’s part of what it means to be
pro-family, is to be pro-every family,” he said.
Buttigieg is raising two children with
his husband Chasten, an educator who has also spoken out against the
bill.
(Related: Chasten
Buttigieg says Florida's proposed “Don't Say Gay” bill will push
kids back into the closet.)