'Say Gay' Billboards Debut Across Country Opposing Anti-LGBTQ Bills
After Florida Gov. Rick DeSantis signed the state's "Don't Say Gay" bill into law, two organizations are hoping to send messages of support to LGBTQ youth across the country.
Southern Progress PAC and FOLX Health kicked off a digital billboard campaign on March 31, Transgender Day of Visibility, in several cities where anti-LGBTQ bills like "Don't Say Gay" are in the works, reported Newsweek.
The billboards include messages such as "Say Gay" and "Protect Trans Youth" as the two groups hope to combat what they call the "harmful and unnecessary" legislation.
"The bill is quite frankly, a solution looking for a problem. We should let kids talk about who they are and where they come from, without fear of repercussions," Southern Progress PAC volunteer Ally Sammarco told Newsweek. "The idea that teachers are grooming children is a weird conservative fantasy that helps them 'explain' why some kids are gay. It's just not true. Most people know what the real intent of this bill is, and if you ask anyone from the LGBTQ community, they know what the consequences will be."
The messages on the billboards are straight forward said Sammarco. "It's OK to say gay. It's more than OK. It's encouraged," she said. "We want to make it very clear that it's OK to talk about who you are and where you come from and no one can stop you from doing that."