Andy Cohen Slams Bill To Restrict LGBTQ Topics In Elementary Schools
By Fiyin Olowokandi on March 9, 2022 at 3:00 PM EST
Andy Cohen is fighting discrimination against the LGBTQ community!
The radio and TV personality may be famous as the ringmaster for juicy Hollywood gossip, but the outspoken entertainer was also interested in politics.
During a recent episode of his talk show, "Watch What Happens Live," the 53-year-old called out Florida's government for passing the 'Don't Say Gay' bill.
Andy Cohen Rebukes The 'Don't Say Gay' Bill Calls It 'One Big Dog Whistle'
Cohen may be a funny guy on TV, but the father-of-one doesn't joke when it comes to discrimination. The Bravo star addressed the new bill on his show and shared the clip on Instagram.
The silver-haired heartthrob didn't mince his words as he slammed the State's Senate for passing the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, which restricted elementary school teachers from discussing LGBTQ matters with their students.
The "Radio Andy" host began his passionate speech by pointing out that Florida's Republicans were "pretending to solve a problem that doesn't exist." In his words:
"There is not a mass conspiracy of kindergarten teachers who are plotting to teach children to be gay. This is one big dog whistle. You're scaring people into spewing hate and discrimination at the LGBTQ community."
Although the bill didn't specifically have the words 'don't say gay,' the entertainer was worried that this "deliberate vague language" left room for the law to be misunderstood.
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The "Love Connection" star explained that as a gay parent, he was concerned about how the bill would affect his son Ben. The doting father 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?"
The government wasn't the only guilty party in Cohen's speech, as the "Top Chef" executive producer also addressed supporters of the bill.
According to the Missouri native, these people were responsible for spreading false information, implying that only those grooming people to be gay would oppose the bill.
Well, the Peabody Award winner had a news flash for anyone believing sexuality could be mentally implanted. The 53-year-old said, "You can't groom someone to be gay. You're born gay."
The silver-haired host reminded Florida's Senate that discriminating against the LGBTQ community wouldn't lead to their extinction at the end of the clip. In his words:
"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."
So if my son went to school in Florida, he would not be allowed to mention his father? How does this work exactly? @RonDeSantisFL https://t.co/S1XSt5jYQK
— Andy Cohen (@Andy) March 8, 2022
The "Real Housewives" producer's battle against the bill didn't end there as he shared a similar message on Twitter, where he called out Ron DeSantis, Florida's Governor.
The Emmy winner asked the lawmaker whether or not his son would be allowed to talk about the TV personality at school as per the new law.
As shared by The Washington Post, the bill was approved on Tuesday, March 8, and this legislation regulated "school lessons about sexual orientation and gender identity."
Regarding the law, Gov. DeSantis stated it was put in place to ensure that the younger generations were not exposed to sensitive topics at school.
According to the politician, the infamous 'don't say gay' bill was necessary to shield Kindergarten students from inappropriate topics in their curriculum.
"The Andy Cohen Diaries" Author Is Not Ashamed Of Fun On New Year's Eve
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Earlier this year, The Blast revealed that Cohen didn't apologize for his drunken behavior while co-hosting CNN's New Year's Eve show.
The entertainer made it clear that he wouldn't be criticized for having fun, stating that his cheerful personality was why the network needed him.
After downing numerous shots and cocktails during the four-and-a-half-hour live show, the 53-year-old began ranting about New York City's outgoing mayor, Bill de Blasio.
The TV personality's tongue-lashing also extended to Ryan Seacrest, who the "Superficial" author insulted for hosting a different New Year's Eve show.
Although Cohen wasn't sorry about his behavior, the producer regretted bad-mouthing Seacrest and offered a sincere apology to the media personality.
The "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" star confessed that his poor choice of words was caused by his stupidity and drunken state, claiming he would never bash the E! Network star on a typical day.