It isn't accurate that DeSantis's "Don't Say Gay" bill was limited to a question of "whether some books were age appropriate" and that it "had nothing to do with not saying gay." Here's a story I wrote on the topic: https://tuckerlieberman.medium.com/dont-say-gay-grades-k-12-florida-1f51f2432e43?sk=86a3b4f957dea22c818bd6fa02143d0a
Equality Florida sued and reached a settlement. See the wide-ranging scope of the issues:
Were these not the issues in the law, they wouldn't have been on the table for the settlement.
Separately, and more abstractly:
Whether someone is anti-gay doesn't hinge on whether they believe that they "love gay people" or "find drag shows offensive". In other words, their anti-gayness isn't determined by their emotions, self-perceptions, or their second-order desires of the sort of person they'd like to be. It isn't enough for them to gaze in the mirror and judge themselves as "tolerant".
It hinges on how they coexist with people who are actually gay — interpersonally, as well as living in some kind of mutual care or political solidarity as members of a shared society. How do they show up for their neighbors, friends, family?
Gay couples should not be entitled to marriage benefits? Adults shouldn't be allowed to wear clothing associated with the opposite gender if a child might see them? These positions attempt to restrict the freedom of LGBTQ people.
A straight person can tell themselves that they're loving, non-offended, tolerant, etc. But what do those feelings (about themselves!) buy the gay/trans people against whom they're attempting to discriminate in specific ways?
