Miami-Dade School Board meeting a shameful spectacle of ignorance and anti-gay hate | Opinion

This is what Miami-Dade School Board meetings have become under the grip of Gov. DeSantis’ “Don’t say gay” Florida: a cesspool of right-wing extremism.

Intimidating Proud Boys posted out front, as if, instead of being sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy, the neo-Fascist group’s former leader, Enrique Tarrio, had been elected Homecoming King.

Their bluster greeted more than 70 people who showed up to speak for and against a proposed resolution to recognize LGBTQ+ History Month — similar to what schools do for Black history and Hispanic heritage. But, given the state law prohibiting books and lessons on the topic, without an educational component.

The recognition was only a symbolic gesture to a community that’s an integral part of life in South Florida.

But rattled conservatives wouldn’t let it be. They acted as if their kids were being recruited into a cult.

The mother of a transgender student who graduated in 2018 held up a sign that featured a lovely photo of her and her daughter — and said in bold letters: “Ask me about my happy high-achieving transgender daughter and how parent support from age 15 reduced her risk of suicide 93 percent.”

A poignant, important message — the most important reason why we need to show acceptance of gay and trans students. But she was screamed at, called a pedophile and accused of “sexualizing” children.

Despicable.

Inside the School Board’s chamber, homophobic vitriol from speakers — including parents — was so harsh that kids and adults supporting gay rights were overcome with emotion.

LBGTQ+ Month vote

What was school officials’ response?

Instead of contributing real leadership to the tumult, ignorant board members compounded the infamy by continuing to make decisions based on their prejudices, including religious and political ones, that affect all of the district’s 334,261 public school students.

Some, like School Board member Roberto Alonso, don’t send their own kids to public schools — yet make decisions for parents that do.

After a marathon of a meeting Wednesday, the School Board rejected in a 5-3 vote taken past midnight the resolution sponsored by School Board member Lucia Baez-Geller to mark October as Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay Transgender and Queer History Month — as will be done in Broward and Orange County public schools.

Miami-Dade’s measure was different from the one rejected last year and was given the green light by the board’s attorney, which proves that the board’s anti-gay bias is organic and has nothing to do with the state’s Parental Rights in Education law.

We’ve become as retrograde and misinformed as a rural North Florida county, the commentary of School Board members giving away their lack of preparedness to lead a diverse community like ours.

READ MORE: After marathon meeting, Miami-Dade School Board rejects LGBTQ Month — again

Alonso misinformed

None is more ignorant than District 4 School Board member Alonso, elected to represent Hialeah-Miami Lakes schools, with the backing of DeSantis and his Education Commissioner Manny Díaz Jr.

He does their political bidding at the micro-level, but hardly knows his subject.

At the contentious meeting, the watchdog blog Political Cortadito reported, Alonso, 44, said gay issues were “never a topic when I was growing up in schools.”

Well, he graduated from Catholic Monsignor Edward Pace High School, where gay students would’ve had no choice but to stay in the closet.

But those of us who went to public school and/or entrusted our children to them know that gay issues were discussed in schools — and it wasn’t the big deal Republicans have blown out of proportion for political reasons.

In early 1970s at Hialeah Junior High School, “Peer Counseling” groups met to discuss all kinds of topics on students’ minds. No issue was prohibited. Groups were a mix of well-performing and at-risk students. It was supposed to deter skipping class and help newcomers, mostly Cuban refugees, adjust.

I was a peer counselor in 1974.

As I’ve written in other columns, in 1977 at Hialeah Senior High School, our newspaper, The Record, devoted an issue to a survey of students’ sexual attitudes and beliefs, including the anti-gay rights battle led by Anita Bryant. Most school yearbooks also marked in some way the emergence of this issue.

Flash forward to 1998 American High School in northwest Miami-Dade, when the Gay-Straight Alliance Club was first formed. No parent that I know of tried to stop it. In fact, we welcomed it. The school newspaper wrote about the need for gay-student acceptance and support and women’s right to speak up when discriminated against. My daughter was its editor her senior year.

After reaching him via text, I sent Alonso this history and questions about his role in the meeting, as he requested, via email. He didn’t answer.

A much worse offense

Worse than Alonso’s ignorance of education history in the county, was the highly inappropriate comparison he made.

He seemed to equate his experience as an overweight child to that of gay or trans students who are bullied.

“We talk about bullying. I was bullied as a child. I was overweight and they called me ‘Fat boy.’ But my parents didn’t come to the schools to ask for a ‘Fat boy’ day of recognition at school,” Alonso said.

This barely veiled homophobia is about as disgusting as it comes — and especially repugnant considering the anti-gay atmosphere people like him are fostering in Florida public schools.

Then, he dug a deeper hole by referencing how his parents handled his complaints by telling him in so many words to toughen up.

“My parents came and said, ‘Son, life is cruel. You will face adversity.’ ”

What a vacuous fool.

This is what Miamians get when we vote lightweights into office.