Students gather to protest after Florida's House of Representatives approved a Republican-backed bill that would prohibit classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, in Winter Park, Florida, U.S., March 7, 2022 in this still image obta
Students gather to protest after Florida's House of Representatives approved a Republican-backed bill that would prohibit classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, in Winter Park, Florida, U.S., March 7, 2022 in this still image obtained from a video posted on social media. Reuters / TWITTER/@PROUDTWINKIE @MDDIZORNE

Florida's Senate on Tuesday passed a Republican-backed bill that would prohibit classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity for many young students, a measure Democrats denounced as being anti-LGBTQ.

The bill now goes to Governor Ron DeSantis, who has indicated his support.

"We're going to make sure that parents are able to send their kid to kindergarten without having some of this stuff injected into their school curriculum," the Republican governor told reporters on Monday.

The legislation, referred to by its opponents as the "don't say gay" bill, has stirred national controversy amid an increasingly partisan debate over what schools should teach children about race and gender.

Republican politicians in the United States say they want to prevent schools from promoting ideologies they see as inappropriate to young students. Democrats say policies like the one proposed in Florida are discriminatory and hateful against minority groups, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.

The Florida measure, formally titled "Parental Rights in Education," bars classroom instruction in public schools on sexual orientation or gender identity for children in kindergarten through third grade, or from about ages 5-9.

It also prohibits such teaching "in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students," which opponents said could be interpreted to extend to all grade levels. Under the law, parents would be allowed to sue school districts they believe to be in violation.

In a floor debate before the vote on Tuesday, Democrat Shevrin Jones, the first openly gay Florida state senator, chided his Republican colleagues for pushing for what he considered a harmful bill for political gain.

"As you prepare for this victory lap in the name of parental rights, just know that this is no victory lap," Jones said to the chamber. "I believe this will be another stain on the history of Florida."

Republican state Senator Danny Burgess defended his support for the bill.

"There is an effort to inject these types of discussions into younger and younger age groups," he said. "Our default position as a state has to be and should remain: trust the child's parents."