Former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador Nikki Haley, a declared candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, criticized the “don’t say gay” education law signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during a campaign stop in Exeter, New Hampshire. Haley argued that the law, which prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity through third grade, does not go “far enough” and maintained that “you shouldn’t be able to talk about gender before third grade. When I was in school you didn’t have sex ed until seventh grade.” DeSantis, who is widely expected to run for president and is currently the only candidate who challenges Donald Trump in polling, has attracted controversy with the law, which has also caused confrontations with corporations, including Disney.
The law, which prevents discussion of gender and sexual orientation in the classroom before children reach the age of eight or nine, has been criticized by some pediatric psychologists, who warn that it could have a detrimental effect on the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth, who are already more likely to experience bullying and attempt suicide. Haley, who has been polling in third place and could potentially split the anti-Trump vote, said Republicans should focus on “new generational leadership” and elect a “badass woman” as president. She also proposed mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75, arguing that this was “not hard” and that such tests were a reasonable request, given that voters are already required to turn over their tax returns.
Haley’s criticism of DeSantis’s law came during her speech in New Hampshire, which will host the first Republican primary of the 2024 election. Speaking to Fox News, Haley maintained her criticism of the law, claiming that third grade was too young for children to be discussing gender, adding, “if you are going to talk to kids about it, you need to get the parents’ permission to do that. That is something between a parent and a child. That is not something that schools need to be teaching. Schools need to be teaching reading and math and science. They don’t need to be teaching whether they think you’re a boy or a girl.” Trump has not yet declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination in 2024, but Haley is expected to face stiff competition from him, should he choose to run.
