Earlier this week, I appeared before the Florida Senate to voice my opposition to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. I spoke up because this bill is an attempt to silence discussion around LGBTQ people, families, and history in Florida classrooms, sending the message that there is something wrong with our community and with families like mine.
I’m PROUD of the family that my wife and I have built together. Immediately after testifying I sat down and checked my phone for an alert that came from my daughter’s class. To my surprise she had coincidentally drawn a photo of our family and proudly was showing it off. I just broke down at the idea that under this law that smile and pride would be illegal.
When I was young and discovering my identity, I was too scared to talk to my parents about my sexuality. Instead, I first came out to my 8th grade teacher. I didn’t have the courage to come out to my parents until the day I was diagnosed with cancer at age 28. No child should be afraid or bullied for being who they are or loving who they love.
I’m running for State Senate because our district deserves a leader who will fight against bills like these that hurt future generations and reverse progress in our state. We all deserve elected officials who will leave these distractions alone and focus on finding solutions to the real issues impacting Miami.
