Alabama joins Florida in prohibiting certain school teachers from discussing gender, sexual matters

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Alabama’s Republican governor has signed legislation prohibiting certain elementary school teachers from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation matters in school.

Alabama’s law is similar to a measure recently approved in Florida that prohibits certain subjects from being discussed by educators.

Exterior view of the Alabama Capitol March 22, 2020, in Montgomery, Alabama. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

"We don’t need to be teaching young children about sex. We are talking about five-year-olds for crying out loud. We need to focus on what matters – core instruction, like reading and math," Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a media statement released Friday.  

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Alabama’s law will prohibit elementary teachers through fifth grade from discussing these issues. Florida’s law, approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis last month, only applies to teachers through the third grade.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is presented with an award at the Alabama 7A state championship game between the Thompson Warriors and Central-Phenix City Red Devils Dec. 4, 2019, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.  (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Critics and members of the Biden administration have called the laws "Don’t Say Gay" measures. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona told the Washington Post Thursday his department is considering potential legal action against the measures.

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"If, in the future, there are complaints made to the Office for Civil Rights, we’ll take those complaints very seriously," Secretary Cardona said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the welcome segment of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 26, 2021. (Reuters/Joe Skipper/File Photo)

Florida’s law is expected to become effective July 1.

Other GOP-led states are considering similar measures. An Ohio state lawmaker told Fox News Thursday she believes the public would support the measure if critics stopped equating it with anti-LGBTQ legislation.

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"Nowhere in the bill does it mention that you cannot say the word gay. What it says is you have to teach age appropriate education, period," Ohio state Rep. Jean Schmidt said.