ANNALS OF DeSANTISTAN: ‘Don’t say gay’ for nonprofits: Ryan Chamberlin files bill that would restrict LGBTQ nonprofits receiving state funding. (Jacob Ogles, Florida Politics, November 21, 2032)

'They would not be able to discuss sexual orientation or gender identity at all. This is horrifying.'

State Rep. Ryan Chamberlin has filed legislation that could impact how Florida nonprofits handle LGBTQ+ individuals.

The Belleview Republican filed a bill (HB 599) that would restrict taking into consideration an individuals’ gender identity or sexual orientation if they want to compete for state contracts or grants.

The legislation would prohibit the termination of employees for refusing to use preferred pronouns that don’t align with an individual’s gender assigned at birth. It would also make clear the state, as an official policy, would only recognize gender as assigned at birth that aligns with individuals’ original internal and external sex organs.

“It is the policy of the state that a person’s sex is an immutable biological trait and that it is false to ascribe to a person a pronoun that does not correspond to such person’s sex,” the bill reads.

But what raised the loudest alarms among critics was a provision that appears to restrict any organization specifically serving LGBTQ individuals from receiving any state dollars.

“It is an unlawful employment practice for a nonprofit organization or an employer who receives funding from the state to require, as a condition of employment, any training, instruction, or other activity on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression,” the bill reads.

That prompted immediate criticism from LGBTQ advocates. Allejandra Caraballo, a Harvard law professor following LGBTQ legislation nationwide, called the bill a “don’t say gay” law for nonprofits.

“It would effectively ban all LGBTQ nonprofits in the state,” Caraballo posted on Threads. “They would not be able to discuss sexual orientation or gender identity at all. This is horrifying.”

Rep. Anna Eskamani posted on X that the bill “would basically ban @EqualityFL from existing” and called it “bigoted, unnecessary and highly unconstitutional.”

The legislation is the second bill filed by Chamberlin, who was elected to the House in a Special Election in May.

The House District 24 seat notably opened after former state Rep. Joe Harding, an Ocala Republican, resigned facing federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering. Harding authored a parental rights in education bill passed in 2022, the bill originally derided as the “don’t say gay bill” for restricting instruction on gender orientation and sexual identity in Florida classrooms.

Jacob Ogles

Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB