Florida moves to expand ban on sexual orientation, gender identity teaching

FILE PHOTO: Hillsborough High School students protest a Republican-backed bill dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" that would prohibit classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, a measure Democrats denounced as being anti-LGBTQ, in Tampa, Florida, U.S., March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Octavio Jones/File Photo

(Reuters) - Florida is looking to expand its ban on teaching young children about sexual orientation and gender identity issues to include all students in its public schools under a new rule set for a vote by the state Board of Education next month.

The proposed rule is the latest move by the administration of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to seek his party's 2024 nomination for president, to limit or prohibit instruction on topics conservatives consider inappropriate for the state's classrooms.