Andy Cohen Addresses Bill Banning LGBTQ Discussions in Fla. Schools

Andy Cohen Addresses Bill Banning LGBTQ Discussions in Fla. Schools: 'As a Gay Parent, I'm Concerned'

"You're scaring people into spewing hate and discrimination at the LGBTQ community," Cohen said on Tuesday's episode of Watch What Happens Live

Dan Heching

Published on March 8, 2022 11:18PM EST

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Andy Cohen is addressing the passage of a new bill that will stop Florida teachers of classes up to third grade from talking about LGBTQ issues with their students.

At the end of Tuesday's episode of Watch What Happens Live, the Bravo host, 53, talked about the "so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill," which passed the state Senate on Monday, as seen in a report from the Associated Press. Cohen also posted his statement to Instagram.

"First to Florida Republicans, you're pretending to solve a problem that doesn't exist. There is not a mass conspiracy of kindergarten teachers who are plotting to teach children to be gay," Cohen said.

"This is one big dog whistle. You're scaring people into spewing hate and discrimination at the LGBTQ community," he added.

For more on Andy Cohen addressing Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, listen below to our daily podcast on PEOPLE Every Day.

Cohen then expounded upon a tweet he had sent out earlier. "While the words 'don't say gay' don't explicitly appear in the bill, as a gay parent, I'm concerned that its deliberately vague language leaves room for it to be interpreted that way," Cohen said.

"Like, if my son went to school and talked about his gay dad during class and the teacher engaged, under your vague, hateful law, that can be considered illegal?"

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The Real Housewives producer then addressed supporters of the bill, who he said "have spread so much misinformation, like suggesting only 'groomers' would oppose it. You can't groom someone to be gay. You're born gay."

Toward the end of the clip, Cohen said, "I thought the whole point of sending our kids to school was to educate them and prepare them for the real world."

"Well, newsflash, the real world has gay people in it," he continued. "It has people of all different gender identities. You can draft all the homophobic and transphobic bills you want, you're not going to erase us. I just wonder how many children and families need to suffer before our politicians figure that out."

As seen in AP's report, the new bill states: "Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards." Parents would also be able to sue districts over violations.

The bill's proponents insist it gives families reassurance about what is being taught in classrooms and that instruction around topics related to sex and gender are unacceptable to children.

Opponents of the bill said its language, including phrases like "classroom instruction" and "age appropriate," could be interpreted broadly enough that any broaching of LGBTQ topics at all could immediately be construed as illegal and the basis for lawsuits from parents, thereby creating "a classroom atmosphere where teachers would avoid the subjects" altogether, the report said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is expected to sign the bill into law.