Shakespeare Latest Target of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Law
The fallout from Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law has now hit William Shakespeare.
As reported by NBC News, students in Florida's Hillsborough County Public Schools system will only be able to read pre-approved excerpts of Shakespeare's plays for class in place of the full texts.
NBC reports that Shakespeare's work was redesigned to fit the school system's curriculum guidelines to abide by the state's new laws that "restrict classroom materials whose content can be deemed sexual."
So what' so sexy about Shakespeare? Well, the legendary playwright's work does include suggestive themes and implications of premarital sex in work such as "Romeo and Juliet."
In a statement, the district assured that Shakespeare's books will be available for checkout at school media centers.
"First and foremost, we have not excluded Shakespeare from our high school curriculum. Students will still have the physical books to read excerpts in class," the district said. "Curriculum guides are continually reviewed and refined throughout the year to align with state standards and current law."
While the first part of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law targeted discussions of LGBTQ+ topics and sexuality. The second part of the law passed this year also prevents students and teachers from using preferred pronouns to shield children from sexualized content, according to Republican lawmakers.
As students head back to school this fall, they might also miss out on AP Psychology. The national college board recommended that schools in the state no longer teach the course because the content of the course would not be fully be actualized thanks to "Don't Say Gay."
Who knows what topic Florida will target next.