The College Board says the Florida Department of Education has, “effectively” bannedan AP Psychology class in the state. AP African American History is already banned in Florida.
The only way districts in Florida will be allowed to teach the Advanced Placement Psychology course is if they omit chapters on gender identity and sexuality.
The College Board says it will not change the content of the course to suit the state’s Parental Rights in Education law, or the Florida Department of Education’s specifications.
"Our policy remains unchanged. Any course that censors required course content cannot be labeled AP or Advanced Placement, and the AP Psychology designation cannot be utilized on student transcripts," the College Board said in a statement.
Statewide several LGBTQ advocates responded to the Florida Department of Education's decision.
“The DeSantis regime is at war with students and parents, censoring more AP curriculum and denying students the opportunity to earn college credit,” said LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida.
While Central Florida Democratic Representative Anna Eskamani called the move a "terrible decision that is 100% politically motivated and one that will rob our students of a well-rounded and college ready public education experience."
At the national level, the American Psychological Association called the news, dismaying.
"An advanced placement course that ignores the decades of science studying sexual orientation and gender identity would deprive students of knowledge they will need to succeed in their studies, in high school and beyond," said the APA.
The news comes on the heels of Florida legislators approving an expansion of the Parental Rights in Education or Don't Say Gay law during the last legislative session.
The law restricts most discussions of gender identity and sexuality in K-12 classrooms in Florida, outside of sex education class.
Last month, the Florida Board of Education approved disciplinary policiesthat will strip teachers of their certification if they talk about gender identity and sexuality. The same goes if a teacher uses a child's preferred pronouns, or lets a child use a bathroom that aligns with their gender identity.
As a result of laws like Parental Rights in Education, several conferences have been pulled from the Orlando area in protest.
AnitaB.org says it won't hold its yearly awards ceremony in the city moving forward. The Grace Hopper Awards celebrated women and nonbinary people in the fields of science and technology.
And the Human Rights Campaign and Equality Florida have issued a travel advisory warningLGBTQ people and their families from visiting Florida because of this law, along with the state's ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
