Gov. DeSantis tackles gender identity at Moms for Liberty summit

Define 'woke.' Image via AP.

Gov. Ron DeSantis dove into discussing trans children at the Moms for Liberty national conference in Tampa, a day after making controversial remarks about adults.

The comments came up as part of DeSantis’ point-by-point review of his administration’s policies on hot-button education issues.

“We also drew a line in the sand and said, ‘You know, in the state of Florida, a parent should be able to send their kid to kindergarten without having woke gender ideology shoved down their throat,” DeSantis said.

“We’re not going to have some first grader being told that, ‘Your parents named you Johnny, you were born a boy, but maybe you’re really a girl.’ That’s inappropriate to be doing in school.”

DeSantis used the issue of gender identity to set up attacks on two favorite targets, “woke corporations” and news media.

“As that was moving its way through the legislative process, some in the media didn’t like that,” DeSantis said. “Some in the business community, some companies you may have heard of, that didn’t like it.”

The not-so-subtle dig at Disney drew chuckles from the DeSantis-friendly crowd. He later went more directly at the House of Mouse. He accused people on the left of “subcontracting” their ideology to companies like Disney.

“A lot of people thought once Disney came out against it, that somehow that was going to kill the bill because Disney’s just too powerful within the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “Well, they bet wrong on that one.”

He said that sort of corporate pressure has been seen before with varying success in Georgia.

DeSantis added that Disney should know they don’t run the state of Florida, “we run the state of Florida. We’re not going to have our leadership subcontracted out to a corporation with close ties to the (Chinese Communist Party) that’s based in Burbank, California.

“Not on my watch.”

DeSantis was in Putnam County on Thursday when he opined against gender-inclusive language, piggybacking on a controversy out of the Capitol, involving Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri. 

“Some of the people in Washington, like, can we actually agree that women get pregnant and not men? Because they don’t seem to say that,” DeSantis said. “It’s just unbelievable, some of the stuff that you’re hearing about that.”

The Moms for Liberty summit, with the organization being born in Florida and closely tied into the world of DeSantis, had the feel of a DeSantis campaign event Friday.

The group’s founders even presented DeSantis with what they call their first-ever Liberty Sword award. 

We are proud to have @GovRonDeSantis open our National Summit! As a Joyful Warrior, we are proud to present the Governor with this rudis, protecting the right of liberty, children to have in-person educational opportunities, and the rights of parents. #M4LSummit22 pic.twitter.com/Hf8RSJdL9w

— Moms for Liberty (@Moms4Liberty) July 15, 2022

“His leadership has been a shining light,” Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice said. “I talk to moms all over the country who wish Ron DeSantis was their Governor. And I’m being told they cannot wait to vote for him for President.”