Journalist admits false 'Don’t Say Gay Bill' label is just great ‘branding’, gets savaged on Twitter

Members and supporters of the LGBTQ community attend the "Say Gay Anyway" rally in Miami Beach, Florida on March 13, 2022. - Florida's state senate on March 8 passed a controversial bill banning lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools, a step that critics complain will hurt the LGBTQ community. Opposition Democrats and LGBTQ rights activists have lobbied against what they call the "Don't Say Gay" law, which will affect kids in kindergarten through third grade, when they are eight or nine years old. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

After Sun Sentinel senior journalist Scott Travis was called out for falsely referring to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill as the "Don’t Say Gay Bill" by conservatives on Twitter, he openly admitted that it was a "good lesson in branding" by Democrats.

Conservatives then slammed him even harder.

On Friday, the writer for the Florida-based outlet shared The Hill’s write-up about the state’s Parental Rights in Education Bill taking effect that day. The bill – ubiquitously known as the Don’t Say Gay Bill on the left after it coined the name – "bans school employees or third parties from giving classroom instruction on ‘sexual orientation’ or ‘gender identity" in kindergarten through third grade."

Travis shared the article and captioned it with a copy of its headline, tweeting, "Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law takes effect today. Its impact is already being felt." 

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Journalists have portrayed the Florida Parental Rights in Education bill as an assault on the gay community. (iStock)

Conservative Twitter users called out the disingenuous moniker for the legislation and blasted the reporter for using the phrase.

Conservative author and film critic Jacob Airey responded to Travis’ post, tweeting, "That's not the name of the bill, ‘Scott.’"

And The Spectator contributing editor Stephen L. Miller corrected Travis, tweeting, "That's not the name of the law."

Miller’s tweet got Travis to bite, and the journalist’s reply admitted more than anyone expected him to about the cynical nature of the left calling it the "Don’t Say Gay Bill."

He responded to Miller, writing, "That’s why it’s in quotes. But the name recognition for ‘don’t don't say gay’ among the public is far higher than the bill’s actual name. It’s a good lesson in marketing/branding."

Miller expressed surprise at how forthcoming Travis was about the leftist agenda. He tweeted back, "’We started calling it that and you know, look how many people recognize it' is a pretty amazing admission for a journalist," miming what he alleged was Travis’ perspective.

U.S. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has defended the Parental Rights in Education bill from media smears for months now. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

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Travis shot back a short response, saying, "If you’re going to use quotes, quote accurately."

In another comment on this admission, Miller wrote, "The lie is good and journalists will use it, if it's branded well. You know, this is a good lesson."

Travis replied again, this time tweeting, "Not just journalists. The name stuck."

Mocking the Sun Sentinel writer, Miller wrote, "’It's a lie, but we're going to keep using it.’"

Another conservative went after Travis for his tweet. Governor Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., spokesperson Christina Pushaw posted a screenshot of the entire exchange between Miller and Travis for all her followers to see. 

She captioned the image, tweeting, "Senior Journalist at @SunSentinel" in an attempt to expose his bias.

In response to Travis' request to "quote accurately," Pushaw asked, "You mean like you put ‘Don’t Say Gay’ in quotes even though it’s an inaccurate description of the law?"

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Members and supporters of the LGBTQ community attend the "Say Gay Anyway" rally in Miami Beach, Florida on March 13, 2022. - Florida's state senate on March 8 passed a controversial bill banning lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools, a step that critics complain will hurt the LGBTQ community. Opposition Democrats and LGBTQ rights activists have lobbied against what they call the "Don't Say Gay" law, which will affect kids in kindergarten through third grade, when they are eight or nine years old. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)