Florida yearbook spread defining LGBTQ+ terms like 'genderfluid' and 'pansexual' sparks parent outrage
Terms included 'lesbian,' 'gay,' 'transgender,' 'nonbinary' and others
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Seminole County, Florida high school yearbook caught the eyes of some parents who alleged one of its two-page spreads containing a list of different sexualities and LGBTQ+ related terms was "inappropriate" for school.
"It’s really not relevant to school activities, academics, clubs, and sports. Anything that has to do with a high school experience, these terms and definitions are not appropriate," Sharmon Craft, a parent of a sophomore at Longwood-area Lyman High School told FOX 35 in Orlando.
"I deem [this] to be pretty mature content," she said earlier.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Seminole County, Florida high school's yearbook garnered attention for featuring definitions of several LGBTQ+ terms and sexualities across a two-page spread. (iStock)
Among the sexually-charged terms included in the spread were "pansexual," "aromantic," "genderfluid," "nonbinary" and "transgender" along with definitions of each that detailed what type of attraction or preference each entailed.
Parents like Craft say that not only was the content irrelevant to school-related activities typically included in the yearbook, but was also too "mature" and "inappropriate" altogether.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The yearbook's editor-in-chief told FOX 35 that controversy was not the staff's intention and maintains they did nothing wrong.
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Lyman High School's ‘The Greyhound’ yearbook featured a spread containing LGBT terms that some said were inappropriate for school. (FOX 35 Orlando/YouTube Screengrab)
"To be fair, it was supposed to have the opposite effect, which was to be more inclusive and more understanding and just gain that perspective," she said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We didn’t do anything wrong," she added later. "We covered a full and fair representation, which is what we’re supposed to do. So I’m quite baffled and quite confused why this is a thing, but I’m going to defend our book because I’m proud of it."
The development comes a year after a censorship controversy plagued the 2022 release when local school board members initially alleged that photos of student activists holding pride flags while protesting the state's Parental Rights in Education law violated district policy.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Members and supporters of the LGBTQ community attend the "Say Gay Anyway" rally in Miami Beach, Florida on March 13, 2022. (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
The school initially moved to cover up the photos with stickers, but decided against the proposal after student outrage.
All the LGBTQ+ focused controversy continues in the overarching context of The Sunshine State's Parental Rights in Education law, coined by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" law since it initially prohibited classroom discussions on gender and sexuality in kindergarten through the third grade.
The state recently voted to expand the law to encompass grades K-12.
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