Gays rally
against Florida's "vague" antibullying bill

Civil rights supporters rallied in Florida Monday against a proposed antibullying law they called "vague." The bill's opponents believe it leaves the most vulnerable students, like gays and minorities, unprotected.

Protesters are calling Republican state representative Ellyn Bogdanoff's proposal a giant step backward for civil rights because it doesn't specifically ban bullying based on race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical ability, or appearance. They are asking Bogdanoff's Fort Lauderdale constituents to demand that Bogdanoff rewrite the bill to name the groups it covers.

The section drawing criticism reads: "The school district policy shall not establish categories of students but shall afford all students the same protection regardless of their status under law."

But Bogdanoff told the South FloridaSun-Sentinel that she would not use selective language to define who should be protected, saying, "I want to protect all children." She said the only change she might make would be to clarify that school districts would not be precluded from creating a separate discrimination policy.

Monday's rally was attended by school board members and representatives from the Democratic Black Caucus, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Organization for Women, and the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. (Sirius/OutQ News)