Laurel Duggan, DCNF

Florida Senate Democrats engaged in a protest against a bill that would bar teachers from talking to young children about sexuality and gender identity Monday.

“Gay! Gay! Gay! My daughter’s gay,” three women could be heard chanting to the tune of “Smoke On The Water” in a video shared by Florida Senate Democrats as they walked through a crowd of cheering protesters in the Florida statehouse holding signs promoting trans and gay rights.

We’ve got one thing to say to our GOP colleagues — GAY! pic.twitter.com/AiXzW0chUq

— Florida Senate Democrats (@FLSenateDems) March 7, 2022

The protest was in response to a bill currently being considered in the Florida state legislature which would prevent teachers from discussing gender identity and sexuality with children in kindergarten through third grade. The bill, often derided by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, would impose limits on age-inappropriate discussions of sexuality in other grades.

“We’ve got one thing to say to our GOP colleagues — GAY!” Florida Senate Democrats tweeted along with the video.

One man in a form-fitting rainbow-striped unitard could be seen in the background holding a sign that read “GOP Will Not Marginalize Me,” while another protester’s sign said “Let’s Get One Thing Straight, I’m Not.” Roughly half of the small crowd inside the statehouse appeared to be children and teenagers.

The protest echoed a “Saturday Night Live” performance from Saturday in which Kate McKinnon sang “Gay! Gay! Gay!” to the tune of “Smoke On The Water” in reference to the bill.

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