WEBVTT - Barrage of Bad Laws 0:00:11.840 --> 0:00:14.840 Good morning, peepsend. Welcome to wika EPI Daily with Meet 0:00:14.880 --> 0:00:18.800 Your Girl Danielle Moody. Recording from the Brooklyn Bunker. Folks, 0:00:18.840 --> 0:00:22.520 I'm very excited about today's show. We did a supersize 0:00:22.840 --> 0:00:27.639 special on the terrible Don't Say Gay legislation that is 0:00:27.640 --> 0:00:33.720 coming out of Florida, that is being sanctioned by Governor Disantess, 0:00:33.800 --> 0:00:37.480 and so I wanted to take this time to sit 0:00:37.560 --> 0:00:41.360 down and talk with a couple of people on different sides, 0:00:41.520 --> 0:00:43.440 not on different sides of the issues this, it's not 0:00:43.479 --> 0:00:45.879 on both sides, but folks coming at it from the 0:00:45.960 --> 0:00:49.920 family aspect, from the legal aspect, from the teacher aspect, 0:00:50.120 --> 0:00:52.519 so that we can understand the full picture of the 0:00:52.600 --> 0:00:56.960 assault that the right wing has on our education system 0:00:57.000 --> 0:01:00.240 and our public schooling and why why people should should 0:01:00.280 --> 0:01:02.680 be up in arms about it. So coming up in 0:01:02.720 --> 0:01:07.759 my conversation today is Stacy Stevenson, who is the CEO 0:01:08.000 --> 0:01:12.679 of Family Equality and LGBTQ organization that works to ensure 0:01:13.200 --> 0:01:17.480 that LGBTQ people can create the kind of families that 0:01:17.560 --> 0:01:20.800 they want and that they have the support and a 0:01:20.840 --> 0:01:23.480 community and a network that allows them to do so. 0:01:24.040 --> 0:01:28.560 Also coming up in today's conversation is Frederick Ingram, who 0:01:28.800 --> 0:01:33.280 is Secretary Treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers and 0:01:33.520 --> 0:01:39.000 was formerly the head of Florida's AFT. And then finally 0:01:39.000 --> 0:01:42.440 we will have a conversation with Carl Charles, who is 0:01:42.520 --> 0:01:47.400 staff attorney at lambed Illegal, the LGBTQ legal outlet that 0:01:47.440 --> 0:01:51.800 has been fighting these battles for decades. That is the 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:58.040 show today, folks, and I hope that you enjoy, folks. 0:01:58.080 --> 0:02:01.920 I am so excited to welcome to woke F Daily 0:02:02.160 --> 0:02:07.120 the CEO, president, executive director, the boss Lady in charge 0:02:07.160 --> 0:02:11.440 of Family Equality, Stacy Stevenson, to join us to talk 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:15.440 about really the horrific, horrific attacks that we are seeing 0:02:16.360 --> 0:02:23.480 once again waged against LGBTQ youth and their families, particularly folks. 0:02:23.560 --> 0:02:26.400 You know that I have been talking about what Governor 0:02:26.440 --> 0:02:29.520 DeSantis has been doing in Florida, what's being copycatted in 0:02:29.600 --> 0:02:34.959 Texas and around the Red state. Stacy, welcome to woke F. 0:02:36.880 --> 0:02:40.560 Tell us a little bit before we jump into what's 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:46.120 happening in Florida about what it is that Family Equality does. Yeah, 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:50.399 absolutely so, Family Equality. We are a nonprofit and we've 0:02:50.440 --> 0:02:54.839 been in existence since nineteen seventy nine. And really our 0:02:54.880 --> 0:02:59.040 mission is to ensure that LGBTQ folks who want to 0:02:59.080 --> 0:03:03.560 have children can do so, and people who have children 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:06.800 and families after you've weathered foster or adopted, that you 0:03:06.800 --> 0:03:10.440 can actually sustain your family. So, in a nutshell, our 0:03:10.600 --> 0:03:13.720 mission is to fight for lived in legal quality for 0:03:14.120 --> 0:03:20.480 LGBTQ families and future LGBTQ families. And you know, but oh, police, 0:03:20.800 --> 0:03:22.680 go ahead, and I was going to say it. And 0:03:22.880 --> 0:03:24.200 we do that in a myriad of ways. And when 0:03:24.200 --> 0:03:27.320 we work with the administration, and we work with policy 0:03:27.360 --> 0:03:30.800 issues on the state and federal level, we connect families 0:03:30.840 --> 0:03:34.320 basically because community is really important as well, and we 0:03:34.400 --> 0:03:37.680 provide education and programming too. And then storytelling is a 0:03:37.680 --> 0:03:39.760 core competency of ours, and I think we all know 0:03:39.840 --> 0:03:42.560 that storytelling is one of those methods that can help 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:44.680 change hearts and minds. So we really do a lot 0:03:44.680 --> 0:03:48.120 of storytellings where we show the real impact of what's 0:03:48.120 --> 0:03:51.840 going on here, but also humanizing LGBTQ plus families because 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:55.120 oftentimes people don't see our families modeled in the media 0:03:55.160 --> 0:04:00.960 at large. You know, Stacy, I have worked, as folks know, 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:07.800 in and around LGBTQ politics and policy for most of 0:04:07.840 --> 0:04:15.320 my career. And you know, I was hearkening earlier this week, 0:04:15.680 --> 0:04:20.560 earlier last week into remembering the rash of suicides at 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:24.120 the beginning of two thousand, of the two thousands, the 0:04:24.200 --> 0:04:28.200 rash of suicides of LGBTQ youth who were being bullied 0:04:28.200 --> 0:04:31.640 in schools. And then I reminded folks about the response 0:04:31.720 --> 0:04:35.520 that the Obama administration had in terms of making sure 0:04:35.680 --> 0:04:42.360 that our public schools, our charter schools, were safe for lgbtquth, 0:04:42.440 --> 0:04:46.600 that they were equitable, that trans youth had access right 0:04:46.680 --> 0:04:51.320 to the bathrooms that they felt most comfortable using, and 0:04:51.360 --> 0:04:55.560 that they felt they were able to learn free of harm. Well, 0:04:55.600 --> 0:04:59.840 we are seeing a total and complete reversal of that. 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:03.720 And I want to get your initial reactions to this, 0:05:03.920 --> 0:05:08.960 don't say gay legislation that just flew through, you know, 0:05:09.520 --> 0:05:13.440 the Florida legislature, which we know is control of Republican controlled. 0:05:13.720 --> 0:05:19.320 What were your initial reactions to that? Well, disappointment, obviously 0:05:19.440 --> 0:05:22.560 from a couple of perspectives. So number one, I was 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:26.440 one of those LGBTQ plus youths in high school and 0:05:26.520 --> 0:05:30.040 middle school who was struggling to find my way and 0:05:30.120 --> 0:05:33.760 to find support. And I remember when I came out 0:05:33.920 --> 0:05:37.200 or actually got pulled out of the closet at sixteen 0:05:37.279 --> 0:05:40.800 or seventeen, and I remember distinctly because I couldn't get 0:05:40.800 --> 0:05:43.920 support in my peer groups. I remember feeling so desperate. 0:05:44.000 --> 0:05:45.640 I went to one of the administrators I think it 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:48.360 was a principle, and I wanted to talk with her 0:05:48.440 --> 0:05:51.760 about what was going on, and she just refused to 0:05:51.760 --> 0:05:55.200 talk with me. Now that was not based on any 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:57.040 law or anything like that. This was in the nineties. 0:05:57.040 --> 0:06:00.320 But think about that when this was just her set, 0:06:00.400 --> 0:06:03.640 and if this is going to be built into laws, 0:06:03.760 --> 0:06:06.360 then what's going to be the impact. There's a true 0:06:06.440 --> 0:06:09.560 human impact here to these kids, and so I just 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:13.839 remember how horrible that felt. And I was absolutely thinking 0:06:14.040 --> 0:06:17.200 about taking my own life and didn't want to be 0:06:17.279 --> 0:06:20.080 here anymore because I didn't have the supported home, I 0:06:20.080 --> 0:06:22.360 didn't have the supported school. And I remember when of 0:06:22.360 --> 0:06:24.400 the administrators telling me, how would you ever know that 0:06:24.480 --> 0:06:27.120 you were gay? You're too young to even feel this way. 0:06:27.160 --> 0:06:31.440 So then that messaging right is also damaging. The other 0:06:31.520 --> 0:06:34.480 perspective is from a parent perspective. So I'm a mother 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:41.720 of two seven year old twin boys, thank you, And 0:06:41.800 --> 0:06:44.919 they have two moms. And we live here in Texas 0:06:45.040 --> 0:06:49.480 and our boys are often advocates for themselves in their classrooms. 0:06:49.480 --> 0:06:52.839 They're often correcting teachers about I have two moms, I 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:55.560 don't have a mom and a dad. And so far 0:06:55.720 --> 0:06:59.960 some of the teachers have been receptive to Okay, London 0:07:00.120 --> 0:07:02.960 has two moms, Duke has two moms. But what if 0:07:03.000 --> 0:07:05.599 that's taken away from them? Yeah, what if the teachers 0:07:06.000 --> 0:07:09.640 can't tell the students that London and Duke have a 0:07:09.680 --> 0:07:12.440 different family structure, And what if London to do are 0:07:12.680 --> 0:07:15.480 silence or other kids in Florida are silence about not 0:07:15.520 --> 0:07:18.440 only themselves but their families. And so there is a 0:07:18.520 --> 0:07:22.200 true human impact that I don't think that the politicians 0:07:22.240 --> 0:07:24.680 are thinking about. They're not thinking about that, and it's 0:07:24.720 --> 0:07:28.720 going to be harm harmful, very harmful to our children 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:30.920 and their families. You know. I don't want to say 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:32.640 that they're not thinking about it. I just don't think 0:07:32.680 --> 0:07:35.480 they care, you know, like that, I mean, that's that's 0:07:35.560 --> 0:07:37.920 the truth of the matter, is that they don't care. 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:42.520 I think that, you know, in in this current political climate, 0:07:44.080 --> 0:07:46.680 the radical right would be happy for us to go 0:07:46.760 --> 0:07:50.440 back into the closet and to be punished, right for 0:07:50.680 --> 0:07:54.400 our desire to be out and proud, right, And you 0:07:54.440 --> 0:07:56.800 know when you talk about the human impact and thank 0:07:56.840 --> 0:07:59.480 you so much for sharing, you know a part of 0:07:59.520 --> 0:08:05.080 your own story. Do you how do we tell this story, Stacy? 0:08:05.400 --> 0:08:09.400 How do we get out our own types of campaigns 0:08:09.720 --> 0:08:13.720 so people understand that, regardless of whether they themselves are 0:08:13.800 --> 0:08:17.280 queer or children come from a queer background, that this 0:08:17.440 --> 0:08:23.440 type of trauma that we are placing on young people 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:27.360 in schools, this is just the beginning. Tennessee just passed 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:30.720 legislation where they don't want to talk about the Holocaust 0:08:30.960 --> 0:08:33.520 and they're taking those books off the shelf. So, you know, 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:37.400 how do we wage this campaign? How do we have 0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:42.000 these conversations so people get what is going on here? Yeah, 0:08:42.040 --> 0:08:44.280 it's interesting, and you know to your point that they 0:08:44.320 --> 0:08:47.280 don't care. That's an even you know, larger issue, right, 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:49.319 And some think that this has been used as a 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:52.240 wedge issue, right, so for political gain, and so maybe 0:08:52.240 --> 0:08:54.840 that's exactly what it is. But in terms of how 0:08:54.840 --> 0:08:57.840 do we tell this story, how do we you know, 0:08:57.880 --> 0:09:00.400 sort of create this campaign? I think again it's talking 0:09:00.400 --> 0:09:03.920 about the human impact of this. I mean, that's I 0:09:03.920 --> 0:09:06.280 think for those people who do care, and I think 0:09:06.320 --> 0:09:10.000 there are people who do care who may not understand 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:12.280 what is going on. I think that we have to 0:09:12.320 --> 0:09:15.160 be very clear and the un tell the ugly truth 0:09:15.320 --> 0:09:18.880 about the human impact. So there was a survey released 0:09:18.960 --> 0:09:22.600 by the Trevor Project in twenty twenty one about the 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:25.920 human impact right and the forty two percent of LGBTQ 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:30.280 plus youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. 0:09:30.440 --> 0:09:33.440 That was from twenty twenty one. You know, half of 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:37.000 all LGBTQ plus youth of color reported discrimination based on 0:09:37.040 --> 0:09:41.480 their Wraith ethnicity in the past year. I think showing 0:09:41.520 --> 0:09:46.040 statistics number one is one thing, and I think also 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:49.360 telling the story in the way that this is damaging, 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:52.360 this is going to lead. As Shaston said, I think 0:09:52.360 --> 0:09:56.520 in the tweet after this was actually reported, that this 0:09:56.600 --> 0:09:58.320 is going to kill kids. And I don't think that 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:00.520 we have to twe should shy away from that. It's 0:10:00.520 --> 0:10:03.040 an ugly truth. But the fact of the matter is 0:10:03.080 --> 0:10:06.240 that it is. It is going to it absolutely is, 0:10:06.320 --> 0:10:09.200 and so there is a real risk here of us 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:12.880 losing more youth and as you mentioned, going backwards and 0:10:13.120 --> 0:10:15.960 going back into the days then when I when I 0:10:16.000 --> 0:10:18.760 came out where we saw more students like us, all 0:10:18.760 --> 0:10:21.360 suicides at my school happen. Um. We got to tell 0:10:21.400 --> 0:10:24.000 the impact, We got to show the numbers, um, and 0:10:24.080 --> 0:10:27.520 we got to be loud about it. What will family 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:31.319 equality as you begin, you know, you've been in this 0:10:31.360 --> 0:10:35.440 position now as a newly executive director for you know, 0:10:35.640 --> 0:10:39.280 close to a year. You're coming in at a really 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:44.959 precarious time, and you know, in our society, what are 0:10:45.040 --> 0:10:47.840 some of the things that you have up on your 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:51.360 agenda for family equality in dealing with this and then 0:10:51.480 --> 0:10:55.520 other issues that you all tackle on a day to 0:10:55.559 --> 0:11:00.240 day basis. Yeah, you know, we are putting a very 0:11:01.400 --> 0:11:04.800 distinct focus on what we call our schools work. We 0:11:04.920 --> 0:11:09.000 know that there are opportunities and lots of opportunities to 0:11:09.120 --> 0:11:12.439 protect our kids and our families in schools, and so 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:15.840 we are doing that. So we're working closely with our 0:11:15.880 --> 0:11:20.160 partners like and Glisten and with the administration to ensure 0:11:20.280 --> 0:11:24.280 that children, for example, who have LGBTQ plus parents or 0:11:24.280 --> 0:11:28.640 family members are protected at school under specific laws. So 0:11:28.679 --> 0:11:30.600 those are one of the things that are on our agenda. 0:11:31.360 --> 0:11:35.599 Our policy folks are engaged into some state coalition to 0:11:35.720 --> 0:11:39.240 working with our national partners to fight some of these bills, 0:11:39.720 --> 0:11:43.839 the Don't Say Gay bill, book bands, curriculum bands, all 0:11:43.840 --> 0:11:46.320 those attempts to erase our history. We're starting to work 0:11:46.320 --> 0:11:49.760 in coalition with people and to use families, Family Equalities Voice, 0:11:49.960 --> 0:11:52.679 to have a seat at the table from a family perspective, 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:56.240 to show the impact of family, and I think from 0:11:56.240 --> 0:11:59.080 a larger perspective. You know, our work is really around 0:11:59.120 --> 0:12:02.600 ensuring that GBTQ plus people can actually create their families 0:12:02.640 --> 0:12:04.719 and as I mentioned early, can sustain their families. So 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:08.480 larger legislation like the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a 0:12:08.520 --> 0:12:11.240 Family Act is something that has been on our agendas, 0:12:11.240 --> 0:12:14.280 our flagship legislation, and we're going to continue to push 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:18.280 that and then our efforts to get the Equality Act pass, 0:12:18.440 --> 0:12:23.480 which will provide explicit protections for LGBTQ plus families and 0:12:24.040 --> 0:12:28.480 some protections to protect children's and children in schools. Last 0:12:28.559 --> 0:12:34.559 question for you, Stacy, because the times are so precarious, 0:12:34.600 --> 0:12:38.560 because you are raising young kids in you know, young 0:12:38.640 --> 0:12:43.200 black boys in a red state. You know, you know 0:12:43.280 --> 0:12:47.360 firsthand about the challenges that we are facing. How do 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:52.160 you hold on to hope in this moment and inspire 0:12:52.800 --> 0:12:56.840 other people, other families, to believe that we can move 0:12:56.920 --> 0:13:05.959 past this really dark moment. It's a great question. One 0:13:06.280 --> 0:13:07.960 of the things I'll say is that I'll be honest 0:13:07.960 --> 0:13:11.160 that it's not always easy to hold onto hope. So 0:13:11.200 --> 0:13:13.800 I don't want to paint this rosy picture, because it 0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:18.520 does get rough, Danielle, It absolutely does. At the same time, 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:21.600 I have these moments with my kids and my family, 0:13:22.160 --> 0:13:25.880 and I think back to being a young LGBTQ plus 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:27.920 person who was told that I would never have a family, 0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:30.640 that we as a collective would never have a family, 0:13:30.679 --> 0:13:33.320 that those rights would never be given to us, that 0:13:33.360 --> 0:13:35.600 marriage would never be given to us. And I look 0:13:35.640 --> 0:13:37.640 back and I see where we are now, and so 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:40.040 I think what I what I try to do, especially 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:41.640 in the seat that I'm sitting in now, is to 0:13:41.920 --> 0:13:45.320 look at those those hard won rights that we that 0:13:45.440 --> 0:13:49.720 we did get, like marriage, like the Bostock decision, you know, 0:13:49.880 --> 0:13:52.720 some of the decisions that we've seen where we actually 0:13:52.800 --> 0:13:55.880 can foster and adopt children. To look at the winds 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:59.640 and to look that we have had some progress, and 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:02.760 then to lean on that and to know that we've 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:05.520 been at these dark times before, and I believe that 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:08.079 we will we will get through them. And we know 0:14:08.320 --> 0:14:11.400 in terms of just LGBTQ plus equality that the majority 0:14:11.440 --> 0:14:16.800 of Americans actually support you know, anti discrimination, you know, 0:14:16.920 --> 0:14:20.720 and so we know that we have lots of support. 0:14:21.400 --> 0:14:23.360 It's just really kind of working through and working through 0:14:23.440 --> 0:14:25.480 some of these wedge issues that the politicians are trying 0:14:25.480 --> 0:14:28.040 to throw at us. Well. I can't thank you enough 0:14:28.240 --> 0:14:30.440 for the work that you do, for making the time 0:14:30.440 --> 0:14:33.440 to join willk F, and hopefully you will come back 0:14:33.520 --> 0:14:36.960 and talk to us more about where family equality is, 0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:39.520 the work that it's doing, and also how we can 0:14:39.560 --> 0:14:43.640 continue to be involved for those volks that do want 0:14:43.640 --> 0:14:46.560 to be involved in this moment. Absolutely, thank you for 0:14:46.600 --> 0:14:54.160 having me, Daniel, appreciate you, folks. I am very happy 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:58.160 to be joined today by Frederick Ingram, who is the 0:14:58.240 --> 0:15:01.720 secretary treasurer of the the American Federation of Teachers and 0:15:01.840 --> 0:15:06.680 formally the president of the Florida Education Association. Frederick, thank 0:15:06.680 --> 0:15:09.280 you for making the time to join wike a F today. 0:15:10.600 --> 0:15:17.960 You know your state of Florida, My goodness, does Governor 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:21.120 de Santis want to keep his name in everyone's mouth 0:15:21.160 --> 0:15:26.560 for all the wrong reasons, has been championing legislation that 0:15:26.600 --> 0:15:34.160 would have LGBTQ people essentially erased from discussions, from curriculum, 0:15:34.160 --> 0:15:37.040 from the history books. Can you tell us a bit 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:41.560 about what you are seeing and hearing from teachers on 0:15:41.600 --> 0:15:46.720 the ground in Florida about these moves that this governor 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:49.480 is making and what we know will most likely be 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:54.960 copycatted around other Republican run states. Sure, you know, thank 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:57.160 you for having me. And it's a sense state of 0:15:57.160 --> 0:16:01.640 affairs as it relates to Governor de Santis and his 0:16:01.720 --> 0:16:06.520 lack of leadership in Florida, his his his his inability 0:16:06.640 --> 0:16:12.400 to bring people together, his intent on divisive type policies 0:16:12.440 --> 0:16:16.520 and legislative agenda that he has for the state of Florida. 0:16:16.680 --> 0:16:20.240 This is just one of the many bad bills that 0:16:20.320 --> 0:16:24.480 he's proffered over the last year since he's been governor 0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:26.160 of State of Florida. I'm sorry, the last two years 0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:28.920 that since he's been governor of State of Florida. And 0:16:29.000 --> 0:16:32.640 you know, we've seen anti woke bills, whatever that means. 0:16:32.720 --> 0:16:38.000 We've seen bills that try to step on the feet 0:16:38.000 --> 0:16:41.360 of people who are have the freedom of assembly, which 0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:44.280 is directly after the George Floyd bill. They had an 0:16:44.320 --> 0:16:49.160 Anti Riot Act, and he's had the anti trans bill 0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:53.560 where you're banning trans kids from trying to participate in 0:16:53.600 --> 0:16:56.360 sports in our public schools. And this is just one 0:16:56.360 --> 0:16:59.720 of the many where he's trying to demean and he 0:16:59.840 --> 0:17:05.720 is trying to push down our LGBTQUH students and those 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:15.479 who identify with lg LGBTQUH. You know, the community, yeah, right, right, 0:17:15.520 --> 0:17:18.520 the community and so so so it's just it's a 0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:21.200 it's a tragedy what's happening in the state of Florida. 0:17:21.320 --> 0:17:23.520 And what we know that this governor is trying to 0:17:23.520 --> 0:17:26.959 do is position himself to run president, and unfortunately he 0:17:27.119 --> 0:17:32.399 is pulling the worst of the rights and conservative thoughts 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:35.399 h to for people because we believe that he's running 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:39.159 squarely against President Trump, who lives in Florida, and we 0:17:39.200 --> 0:17:41.040 believe that he has to keep pushing to the right 0:17:41.240 --> 0:17:42.679 so that he can stay to the right of the 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:46.080 governor in Texas and Georgia, where we're seeing other bad 0:17:46.119 --> 0:17:49.160 bills that are being, like you said, copycattered all over 0:17:49.600 --> 0:17:54.200 this country, inclusive of of voting rights bills. So it's 0:17:54.280 --> 0:17:57.880 all h We believe that we're the incubator for all 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:01.719 things bad right now as it relates to legislation. But 0:18:01.800 --> 0:18:04.520 you know, we're fighting back, you know, so Frederick talked 0:18:04.560 --> 0:18:08.360 to me. You know, I am a former teacher, former educator, 0:18:08.520 --> 0:18:12.080 and I taught first and second grade elementary school in Washington, 0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:16.120 DC before I would make my way into policy work 0:18:16.160 --> 0:18:18.919 and then to New York where I am now. And 0:18:19.240 --> 0:18:22.439 I will tell you that of the many positions that 0:18:22.520 --> 0:18:25.679 I have had, teaching was one of the hardest that 0:18:25.760 --> 0:18:29.159 I've ever done. And every day that I see what 0:18:29.320 --> 0:18:33.480 we are putting our teachers through, whether it be series 0:18:33.520 --> 0:18:36.440 of mass shootings. Florida was the first state to say, oh, 0:18:36.480 --> 0:18:39.920 we're not going to do anything about, you know, school shootings, 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:43.760 We'll just arm our teachers. Right We're sending them to 0:18:43.840 --> 0:18:47.600 work in a pandemic without the safety of mask mandates 0:18:47.600 --> 0:18:51.639 in these states, without the safeties of vaccination requirements in 0:18:51.680 --> 0:18:55.560 these states. And now we're saying you can't talk about 0:18:55.640 --> 0:19:00.159 race or racism, you can't talk about LGBTQ people. What 0:19:00.240 --> 0:19:03.480 are teachers saying to you all? What are you hearing? 0:19:04.600 --> 0:19:09.000 And is there a mass resignation of teachers that we 0:19:09.080 --> 0:19:11.879 actually should be paying attention to Yeah, then you know 0:19:11.880 --> 0:19:15.119 it's funny you asked that, because even before the pandemic, 0:19:15.200 --> 0:19:17.920 even before the sentis, we had a shortage of teachers. 0:19:18.600 --> 0:19:22.160 That shortage is being exacerbated, that shortage is being expanded 0:19:22.160 --> 0:19:26.080 beyond almost beyond repair, because we don't have enough students 0:19:26.119 --> 0:19:29.719 in our colleges and universities that are in the pipeline 0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:33.080 to become teachers. And so this shortage is going to 0:19:33.119 --> 0:19:35.960 send us back decades. It's going to send us back decades, 0:19:36.000 --> 0:19:38.359 not only in public schools throughout, but we know that 0:19:38.400 --> 0:19:41.480 our black and brown children hurt even more because we 0:19:41.520 --> 0:19:43.560 know that there are a lack of black and brown 0:19:43.960 --> 0:19:46.919 teachers in our classrooms in the in the state of Florida. 0:19:47.320 --> 0:19:50.880 In fact, black males make up two percent of all 0:19:51.560 --> 0:19:55.040 teachers in the country. And so we have those shortages. 0:19:55.320 --> 0:19:57.200 And it's not what teachers are saying. It's what they're 0:19:57.240 --> 0:19:59.159 not saying. It's that they're putting their keys on their 0:19:59.200 --> 0:20:01.439 principles desk and saying, you know what, I've had it. 0:20:01.640 --> 0:20:04.760 You won't keep me safe. You're fighting mass mandates, you're 0:20:04.760 --> 0:20:10.080 acting as if the vaccines don't exist. You're telling me 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:13.600 what I can teach as it relates to history. You're 0:20:13.600 --> 0:20:16.720 telling me what I can teach as it relates to students' 0:20:16.760 --> 0:20:21.640 mental health. And LGBTQ students need those types of supports 0:20:21.680 --> 0:20:24.560 around them because it is still a very vulnerable place 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:27.199 to be when you are a young student, and so 0:20:27.320 --> 0:20:30.040 our teachers are the first line of defense there. And 0:20:30.119 --> 0:20:32.640 so teachers are not saying anything, they're just walking out 0:20:32.680 --> 0:20:35.120 the door. If you've got thirty years or thirty five 0:20:35.200 --> 0:20:37.240 years or twenty five years, you're saying, you know what, 0:20:37.280 --> 0:20:39.840 I've had enough. I have simply had enough, and I'm 0:20:39.880 --> 0:20:42.160 out of here. And then, if you are a first 0:20:42.240 --> 0:20:44.440 year teacher or a second year teacher, or if you're 0:20:44.440 --> 0:20:47.400 in college, what incentive do you have to come into 0:20:47.520 --> 0:20:51.720 education knowing that these people are going to underpay you, 0:20:51.920 --> 0:20:54.679 they're going to undercut you, they're not going to support you, 0:20:54.920 --> 0:20:58.639 and you have laws that have made you the enemy. Listen, 0:20:58.720 --> 0:21:01.560 our teachers are the beautiful people in our country. It 0:21:01.680 --> 0:21:04.159 is still the most noble profession that you can go 0:21:04.240 --> 0:21:07.359 into to give back to your community, to love kids 0:21:07.400 --> 0:21:11.360 every day. Our most precious resource is in our classrooms. 0:21:11.640 --> 0:21:14.679 We've got to teach and treat our teachers in the 0:21:14.760 --> 0:21:17.480 same manner that we do our kids because we give 0:21:17.520 --> 0:21:20.400 them to them every day. That's that's who we are. 0:21:20.560 --> 0:21:23.320 And it's not only teachers, it's the educational community. Why 0:21:23.400 --> 0:21:25.880 is the bus driver making seven dollars an hour. Why 0:21:25.960 --> 0:21:29.000 is the cafeteria worker who's feeding that hungry kid making 0:21:29.680 --> 0:21:33.000 less than a minimum wage. Why is the secretary who 0:21:33.359 --> 0:21:38.000 is in charge of giving all of the the you know, 0:21:38.200 --> 0:21:41.439 all the reports for the school back to the you know, 0:21:41.480 --> 0:21:44.919 to the school leadership. Why can't she pay her own bills. 0:21:44.960 --> 0:21:48.400 It's an educational village out there that is being disrupted 0:21:48.480 --> 0:21:51.960 every single day, and this LGBTQ bill is just one 0:21:52.040 --> 0:21:55.880 more insult. It's one more insult to where teachers are 0:21:56.000 --> 0:21:59.080 afraid to say anything in schools because we're being told 0:21:59.160 --> 0:22:01.679 what to say, when the state and how to see it. 0:22:01.920 --> 0:22:05.000 That's not teaching. That's dictatorship and that should not be 0:22:05.359 --> 0:22:10.320 in the state of Florida. So how Frederick is aft 0:22:11.320 --> 0:22:14.439 fighting against all of the things, all the litany of 0:22:14.520 --> 0:22:17.000 things that have been laid out, because you know, when 0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:20.120 you look at what is happening in Florida, you see 0:22:20.160 --> 0:22:23.239 the fight that teachers are against stuff. In Chicago, you 0:22:23.280 --> 0:22:27.080 see what was happening in LA across the country right, 0:22:27.240 --> 0:22:30.920 teachers are literally under assault. They're either having to form 0:22:31.000 --> 0:22:34.359 walkouts in order to have their needs be met, right, 0:22:34.400 --> 0:22:37.199 but they're to your point, being looked at as the 0:22:37.359 --> 0:22:40.400 enemy of the people, when in twenty twenty we were 0:22:40.440 --> 0:22:43.480 saying that they were essential and they were heroes. So 0:22:43.520 --> 0:22:50.760 what is AFT doing to help this fight, to help 0:22:50.880 --> 0:22:54.400 teachers stand up, form themselves, and then also to kind 0:22:54.440 --> 0:22:57.680 of to recruit in an environment where I'm telling you, 0:22:58.320 --> 0:23:01.119 if I were to be asked today to be a teacher, 0:23:01.200 --> 0:23:04.639 I would say no, right right, well listen. So I 0:23:04.680 --> 0:23:07.639 am so proud of our union, the American Federation of Teachers. 0:23:07.680 --> 0:23:11.120 Our president is Randy Weingarten, who is a vanguard of 0:23:11.160 --> 0:23:13.800 our public schools, and she has been in and around 0:23:14.320 --> 0:23:16.960 this country, all over this country. We started the school 0:23:17.000 --> 0:23:18.880 year off with it Back to School for All campaign, 0:23:19.119 --> 0:23:22.000 where we went directly to parents knocking on doors saying, hey, 0:23:22.200 --> 0:23:24.159 we need your kids back in school. We know that 0:23:24.200 --> 0:23:26.440 they've been on virtual school, we know that they haven't 0:23:26.480 --> 0:23:28.399 been in a classroom. We know that we've got to 0:23:28.600 --> 0:23:32.320 reacculterate them to the school policies and processes. But they've 0:23:32.359 --> 0:23:34.479 got to be in school. That's what we did at 0:23:34.480 --> 0:23:37.960 the beginning of school year. Literally, union members went door 0:23:38.080 --> 0:23:41.240 to door, knocking on doors in the hood and the suburbs, 0:23:41.560 --> 0:23:44.080 way out in the fields. You know, it didn't matter 0:23:44.119 --> 0:23:47.119 what the demographics were. We wanted kids back in school. 0:23:47.320 --> 0:23:50.080 And in large part we did that. Ninety nine percent 0:23:50.080 --> 0:23:53.240 of our schools were open at the beginning of school 0:23:53.280 --> 0:23:55.600 and that was, you know, through the push from the 0:23:55.600 --> 0:23:58.400 federal government, through the police, from our unions and teachers 0:23:58.720 --> 0:24:01.479 literally saying bring these kids back to school and let 0:24:01.560 --> 0:24:04.560 us work the magic. And so we're continuing that effort 0:24:04.560 --> 0:24:08.960 now by joining with parents. Parents have the ultimate power 0:24:09.000 --> 0:24:11.359 as it relates to our schools, and that's where the 0:24:11.400 --> 0:24:14.120 power should be. And so we're linking up with parents 0:24:14.160 --> 0:24:17.240 all over this country. We're letting them know that they've 0:24:17.240 --> 0:24:19.359 got to speak at school boards. They have got to 0:24:20.160 --> 0:24:22.320