Tennis Star Coco Gauff Speaks Out Against Florida's Parental Rights in Education Bill

American tennis player Coco Gauff, who spent part of her childhood in Florida, said Wednesday she opposes the state's proposed Parental Rights in Education bill, which opponents have labeled as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

Reuters' Rory Carroll reported the legislation, put forward by Republicans and opposed by Democrats, would ban "classroom instruction in public schools on sexual orientation or gender identity for children in kindergarten through third grade."

"I'm against it," Gauff said. "I think these conversations are important, and for me, who has friends in the LGBTQ+ community, I couldn't imagine not being able to talk about your identity. I feel that's something that is normal."

The bill has sparked intense partisan debate about gender discussions in public settings, and when children should be exposed to such conversations.

It's also put pressure on prominent companies in Florida to take a side. CNN's Frank Pallotta noted Disney CEO Bob Chapek addressed the lack of initial response during a shareholders' meeting Wednesday.

"While we have been strong supporters of the community for decades, I understand that many are upset that we did not speak out against the bill," Chapek said. "We were opposed to the bill from the outset, but we chose not to take a public position on it because we thought we could be more effective working behind the scenes engaging directly with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle."

He added Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has agreed to meet with senior members of Disney and LGBTQ+ members of its team to address concerns about the bill.

Gauff is one of tennis' rising stars. At the age of 17, she's already reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal in singles at the 2021 French Open and a major final in doubles at the 2021 US Open.

"Every [LGBTQ+] person I've known has known that they were part of that community since they were young," she said. "I think it's important that they have those conversations in school, because that is supposed to be a safe space to talk about everything."

The Florida state Senate passed the bill Tuesday after it was previously passed by the state House last month. A signature from DeSantis would represent the final approval to make the bill a law in the nation's third-most populated state.