Florida bans school discussions about girls' monthly cycles until 6th grade...

[allegorical oracle]

The Florida GOP is on a truly stunning tear of misogyny, ignorance, homophobia and censorship, culminating in a bill that just passed the Florida House that would bar young girls from discussing menstruation, including their own menstrual periods, in school. Fifty three years since Judy Blume wrote “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” some Republican legislators still seem less comfortable with puberty and sexuality than pre-teen girls (maybe they should go see the movie when it hits theaters next month).

The Florida bill states that education around sex, reproduction and sexuality cannot begin until 6th grade. On Wednesday, when Florida state Rep. Ashley Gantt, a Democrat, asked her Republican colleague who sponsored the legislation, state Rep. Stan McClain, if the bill means that girls who get their periods before sixth grade couldn’t discuss that in school, he said yes.

“So if little girls experience their menstrual cycle in fifth grade or fourth grade,” she asked, “will that prohibit conversations from them since they are in the grade lower than sixth grade?”

“It would,” McClain said,

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/21/opinions/florida-menstruation-ban-schools-filopovic/index.html

[Walleye]

1. Can't talk about anything that makes boys feel icky

Of course if they wanna play sports they will be required to record their menstrual cycle for the principal

[NullTuples]

29. That's as creepy as the Trump administration tracking migrant girl's periods to prevent abortions

A reminder for those who forgot:
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/politics/a26985261/trump-administration-abortion-period-tracking-migrant-women/

[appmanga]

42. That's why we call The Florida Fuhrer...

..."Tampon Ron".

[ecstatic]

2. This is so disturbing

It also brings to mind their obsession with pedophiles. It's all related in my opinion. They are the pedophiles. And now they're trying to silence children (and adults who might be able to intervene and stop abuse).

[hlthe2b]

3. How do school nurses figure into this idiocy?

It is not uncommon in homes where these subjects are not mentioned at all, for young girls experiencing their first period (especially if younger than average) may think they are dying. What cruelty to not let anyone discuss this or even reassure them?

[Hekate]

40. I'm not sure they still exist, but I bet there's a gag order

[Lovie777]

4. What kind of crap is this?..............

Florida, and basically most of the red states are off my list for a visit.

[Skittles]

11. "Squarepants"

welcome to DU, Writethinker!

[Tree-Hugger]

6. This is disgusting

I deal with this page group often. By 6th grade, more thsn half already have their periods. This is so fucking vile.

They do not want young girls to be educated about their bodies. They wantvthem ignorant and in the dark so they are easier to control.

[Irish_Dem]

8. No sex education means more teen pregnancies?

This seems to be the GOP goal.

[allegorical oracle]

23. Exactly. It's ridiculous. And then there are no abortions allowed. Young girls are trapped. nt

[Irish_Dem]

25. Also rolling back contraception measures.

Most people today have no idea what is in store for women.

Some of us were alive when all of this was a harsh reality before.

[2naSalit]

7. Micro managing speech...

Lovely.

[Irish_Dem]

9. More attempts to shame and humiliate females.

Keep them ignorant about their bodies.

[barbtries]

10. even in the 1980s,

when my daughter was in 4th grade, one of her classmates started her period at the age of 9. My understanding is that this is happening more and more.

no one ever try and tell me that republicans do not hate women. i hate republicans

Parents of young kids need to begin teaching their children as soon as the first question pops. My repressed mother used to tell me she found me in a cabbage patch. My children knew where they came from. There are still boys out there who believe that girls don't fart or defecate. i mean please this is so fucked up.

[Baitball Blogger]

13. This is a wedge issue for ethnic families.

Latinas and I hear black Americans can start their periods at 9.

[barbtries]

14. this 9-year-old was a towheaded white girl.

and it happened at school.

[Baitball Blogger]

16. I understand. But the statistics might show that ethnic minorities, as a group, have a higher

percentage that start earlier. And this would be a wedge issue we can use.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

15. Anyone of any race can start menstruating at nine. The differences between average age of menarche

among races is a matter of months, not years, and is likely due to socioeconomic factors.

[Baitball Blogger]

17. No it's not.

This study showed differences for both non-Hispanic black girls, and Mexican American girls that were years different. Not months.

Age at menarche for non-Hispanic black girls was significantly earlier than that of white girls at 10%, 25%, and 50% of those who had attained menarche, whereas Mexican American girls were only significantly earlier than the white girls at 25%.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12509562/

[Crunchy Frog]

20. My white step sister got hers at 9. She got hers before I got mine,

even though she was 3 1/2 years younger than me. I didn't get mine until I was almost 15. There's just a lot of individual variation.

[Baitball Blogger]

21. Yes, but statistically this is going to have

A CULTURAL impact on ethnic minorities.

[edisdead]

34. Wait what?

There is a racial component to when girls can start their periods

Is this factual? As a man I have no idea.

[Baitball Blogger]

41. Apparently, neither do white women.

[allegorical oracle]

24. I grew up in a similar setting. Periods were a shameful thing. So agree with you. nt

[barbtries]

27. Women are people.

it's 2023 FFS everyone should know this by now.

[EarlG]

12. Just want to add a corrected URL

There's a slight typo in the URL in the OP -- here's the correct link:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/21/opinions/florida-menstruation-ban-schools-filipovic/index.html

[allegorical oracle]

26. OH thank you. Don't know how that happened...

[Lettuce Be]

18. They going to arrest a child for asking for help when she suddenly starts to bleed?

Cruel and unusual punishment is what that is.

[FSogol]

19. Just wait until the next school year and someone wil explain it.

[LudwigPastorius]

22. She'd probably be punished for "not holding it in".

[Tickle]

28. It was 6th grade for me

When did they start teaching younger grades?

My Granddaughter is in the 5th grade and she already knows about menstruation from her mother but maybe she'll learn more in the 6th grade. I would hope to think she could discuss it if she gets her period before the 6th grade. That makes zero sense to me.

[edisdead]

35. My son had it in 4th grade this year.

Start earlier.

[Tickle]

39. the boys go to?

I'm as old as the hills! LOL When did the boys get to go?

[edisdead]

43. Yep

It starts with the whole class in a general sex Ed. Then next year I think they get some sex specific stuff.But yep they talked about all of that stuff. Of course our son has had the wonders of the body books (can’t remember the actual title right now and we are on vacation) since he was little little.

[Whatthe_Firetruck]

44. Trans-boys?

Physically female, mentally a boy?

[Takket]

30. Rethugs: fixing problems that aren't problems and don't even exist

Honestly how many times does this even get discussed at that age

[Tanuki]

31. My older sister got her period at age 10. She didn't know what

was happening and cried, thinking she had somehow injured herself. My mom felt terrible about that, as she just had not anticipated it happening so soon. She made sure I was prepared well ahead of time. I can't imagine the mentality of deliberately trying to hide basic biology from school students.

[JCMach1]

32. I thought it was always 6 in Florida. Of course we already had 4-5 pregnant

Girls in our class by then... Not joking about that.

[LAS14]

33. Huh. I started in fifth grade. nt

[milestogo]

36. "Are You There God? It's Me, Sanctimonious Republican"

I'm skeered of anything that bleeds.

[Initech]

38. It seems also Arkansas is catching up to thier insanity.