In Florida, a teacher is under internal investigation for showing the class Strange World, the Disney cartoon with a gay boy among the protagonists. In reality, the teacher was interested in the environmental themes of the story, but she was still framed as an LGBTQIA + activist.
Strange Worldthe 61st feature film in the canon of Walt Disney Animation Studiosbecame doubly famous last year: for being the first with protagonist a homosexual boyand for being one of the loudest flop of the study in recent years. It is highly debatable that there is a close link between the two things, although many are convinced of it, but reading what happened a few days ago in Floridait is likely that in the US the matter inclusiveness (including a interracial marriage) may have weighed a lot. She understood thatteacher Jenna Barbee of Hernando County Winding Waters K-8, under internal investigation for showing it in class…
Strange World and the teacher accused of showing it in class
Jenna Barbee he explained in his videos on Tik Tok which, having had the written permission by the parents of the boys and girls to be able to show in class “PG” rated filmi.e. suitable for minors, without explicit notes on their contents, has chosen Strange World. Not to embrace the cause LGBTQIA+ actually, neither to indoctrinate his first graders, but because he found the i environmental topics of the film (which are then the fulcrum of the storybut few have had the desire to notice it): “Science related to the Earth, the ecosystemsthe way they interact, plant, humans, animals“. About the matter inclusivenessBarbee says: “I thought: what better way to show all these standards together with lessons about the overcoming differencesthe spread of kindnessfrom the communication with othershe was born in pursuit of our dreams?” Since the boys and girls in fifth grade had spontaneously spoken to her about LGBTQIA+ issues, she hadn’t even focused on considering that problematic aspect. But it was.
May 9th Shannon Rodriguezmother of one or one of the students, part of school councilha denounced the choice of Jenna Barbee, leading to ainternal investigationwhich also generated a talks singles with boys and girls, according to Barbee “traumatizing”. The reaction also depends on the Parental Rights in Education Act enacted last year by the governor of Florida DeSantisthe law dubbed “It doesn’t say gay“, where sexual orientation and gender identity education is prevented in schools. Never mind that Strange World isn’t actually built to do this, using a character’s homosexuality or an interracial marriage only as part of the contextbut not as themes (although 90% of people who have not seen the film are convinced otherwise).
Shannon Rodriguez explained her attack on the teacher to CNN: “It’s not a teacher’s job impose their ideas on boys and girls: religious, sexual, gender, and everything in between. Allowing films like this is assisting teachers to — hear me out — open a door to conversations that don’t belong in our classrooms. As a community leader, I will not passively watch theinfiltration in our school of this minority… Dio put me where I am.”
Jenna in the video says: “I don’t do propaganda, I acceptthat’s what I do.”
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