“Don’t say gay” is a golden opportunity for added bigotry.

According to Florida’s attorney general, Ron DeSantis’ Don’t Say Gay rules require schools keep sexuality-related (i.e. gay or trans) material out of school classrooms but not libraries. Nevertheless, Charlotte County’s school superintendent has ordered school libraries purge “all books with LGBTQ characters or themes.” Possibly this is pre-emptive compliance — do what you think the state wants before it even demands it — but it feels like bigots in the system are seizing an opportunity. As witness their flimsy rationale that as classroom activities sometimes happen in the library, therefore it’s a schoolroom, QED!

In related matters about schools, kids and conservatives:

“Board president Joan Cullen, who marched in the Jan. 6 protests at the U.S. Capitol, has come under fire for controversial social media posts, including one calling a survivor of the deadly 2018 Parkland school shooting a “tyrant.”” — from a post about what happens when Moms for Liberty takes over a school board.

Just 11 people provide the majority of book-banning requests to school library.

“As school board members, your sworn duty and responsibility is to enforce the Parents’ Bill of Rights law to protect our young grandkids from sexual harassment, from homosex groomers lurking in our schools, unions, PTAs, libraries and moms for porn groups,” Duane Hansen said at last week’s Wake school board meeting. I’ve no idea who Hansen is but this sounds more like bigoted fantasies that let Mr. Hansen imagine he’s a virtuous man. I bet he’d be outraged if I suggested doing something about Christian ministers grooming kids or that given the scope of the Presybterian abuse crisis we should keep girls away from the church. Or there’s the Baptist worship leader who’s been busted for producing child porn.

But let’s be fair, plenty of right-wing pastors have other issues — like complaining autistic children are demon-possessed.

Let’s not forget, some of the religious right are openly in favor of indoctrinating (other people’s) children.

Brooklyn Library’s drag-story hour gets a bomb threat. The threateners may have deluded themselves that they’re the good guys too.

A school insists that suspending a black kid for his hairstyle isn’t discrimination.

A teacher in South Carolina taught a class around Ta-Nehisi Coates’ book on race. She was willing to talk to students who complained; she didn’t expect they’d report her.

Another teacher, another burst of outrage.

Sen. Joe Manchin opposes expanding the child tax credit because, he says, parents will just buy drugs with the money.