By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-- The Florida Board of Education on Wednesday authorized a ban on class direction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, broadening the law critics call "Don't Say Gay" at the request of Gov. Ron DeSantis as he gets ready for an expected presidential run.

The proposal will take effect after a procedural notification duration that lasts about a month, according to an education department spokesman.

The guideline change would ban lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity from grades 4-12, unless required by existing state requirements or as part of reproductive health guideline that trainees can select not to take. Florida presently prohibits such lessons in kindergarten through 3rd grade.

The DeSantis administration advanced the proposal last month as part of the Republican's aggressive conservative program, with the guv leaning greatly into cultural divides ahead of his looming White House candidacy.

DeSantis has not talked about the proposal. He previously directed questions to Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., who said it was indicated to clarify confusion around the existing law and reinforce that teachers must not deviate from existing curriculums.

" We're not removing anything here," Diaz Jr. stated on Wednesday. "All we are doing is we are setting the expectations so our instructors are clear: that they are to teach to the requirements."

The restriction, which began last year with the law banning sexual preference and gender identity lessons in kindergarten through third grade, has actually drawn extreme backlash from critics who argue it marginalizes LGBTQ+ people and has vague terms that lead to self-censorship from teachers. Democratic President Joe Biden has called it "despiteful.".

The existing law is also the root of an ongoing feud with Disney, among the state's largest employers and political donors.

" Let's put it plainly: This is part of the guv's assault on liberty," Joe Saunders, senior political director of the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida, stated in a declaration, adding the policy will "further stigmatize and separate a population of young people who need our support now especially.".

The home entertainment giant openly opposed the legislation in 2015, and as penalty, DeSantis pushed legislators to offer him control of a self-governing district that Disney oversees in its theme park properties.

Prior to a set of brand-new DeSantis appointees might presume control of the district, Disney's board passed limiting covenants that remove the inbound members of most of their powers, blunting the guv's retaliation.

DeSantis has actually directed the chief inspector general to examine the Disney board's relocation and swore to take extra vengeance against the business through legislation.