Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Brevard County on Wednesday to promote a plan to battle the state’s escalating opioid-abuse crisis.
But he also reminded the audience how aggressively the Biden administration is promoting the LGBTQ agenda.
And doing so at the expense of poor children.
During his press conference, the Republican governor pitched the opioid plan as another way Florida would lead on a tough issue.
In that context, he touted the efforts to protect sports for women and girls. The state, with DeSantis’ endorsement, did that last year by outlawing biological boys and men from competing as women in women’s sports.
“We did that. I think most people agree that it’s the proper thing to do,” said DeSantis.
But, he suggested, President Joe Biden is not among them
Biden, DeSantis noted, “is now threatening to penalize states that have taken basic, commonsense actions like just recognizing the importance of women’s sports.”
DeSantis was referring to a plan the U.S. Department of Agriculture hatched in May.
In the news: Gov. DeSantis Promotes Iconic American Symbol To Support Vets, Liberals Aren’t Happy
Biden announced that Title IX, the 1972 federal law that bans discrimination based on sex in educational settings, would apply to the LGBTQ community.
“Whether you are grocery shopping, standing in line at the school cafeteria, or picking up food from a food bank, you should be able to do so without fear of discrimination,” USDA Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean said in a statement at the time. “No one should be denied access to nutritious food simply because of who they are or how they identify.”
Unless you’re poor. Because the administration threatened to withhold federal funding from states that did not follow the new mandate.
That included the National School Lunch Program that provides free or reduced-cost lunches to nearly 30 million American schoolchildren.
DeSantis’ administration had denounced the federal government for the threat back in early June.
As The Free Press reported, Christina Pushaw, the governor’s spokeswoman, called the proposal “appalling.”
“We will not allow Biden to force Floridians to choose between children’s food and parents’ rights. That is the kind of ‘decision’ that a totalitarian regime would force upon its citizenry,” she said at the time.
“The federal government has no authority to follow through on these threats, but Gov. DeSantis will always remain vigilant in protecting Floridians from unconstitutional federal overreach.”
DeSantis noted the push from Washington on Wednesday, saying, “They’re threatening to take away lunch money from poor kids as punishment for us protecting women’s sports. Think about how deranged that is.”
“They’re so intent on destroying the competition of women’s athletics that they’re going to use school lunch money for poor kids as a cudgel to try to get us to submit to what they want. We’re not backing down one inch on this,” said DeSantis.
As The Free Press reported on Wednesday, the governor also took a swipe at doctors who promote “gender-affirming care” to children – which, he added, translates to performing double mastectomies on young girls and castrating young boys.
“That’s wrong,” said DeSantis. “You don’t disfigure 10-, 12-, 13-year-old kids based on gender dysphoria.” “I think these doctors need to get sued for what’s happening,” added DeSantis, as the crowd erupted into cheers.
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