ORLANDO, Fla. — A bill moving through the Florida legislature would prevent public sector employees and contractors from being punished for refusing to use a person’s preferred pronouns if it contradicts their personal beliefs.
The proposal would also require state job applications to provide only two gender options: male and female.
The measure is currently being debated in the Florida Senate, where lawmakers are split along party lines. The bill aims to prohibit government employers from imposing specific pronoun requirements on their staff.
State Sen. Stan McClain, R-Ocala, spoke in support of the measure during legislative discussions. He argued that the bill is necessary to protect the individual rights of government workers and contractors.
“It does prohibit government employers from imposing specific pronoun usage,” McClain said. “Employees shouldn’t be forced to choose between their conscience and their jobs.”
The bill also addresses the administrative hiring process for the state. It would require all state job applications to list only two gender options for applicants to choose from: male and female.
State Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, challenged the proposal, comparing the refusal to use preferred pronouns to other forms of workplace misconduct. She questioned the impact the bill would have on workplace environments.
“You can’t tell racist jokes and make someone feel uncomfortable, without, hopefully, an employer taking corrective action or firing you,” Polsky said. “So, why should it apply to jokes about sexual orientation or refusal to use a pronoun that someone prefers?”
The bill must clear the Judiciary and Rules Committees before it can be heard by the full Senate.
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