Feb 24 (Reuters) – Florida’s House of Representatives on Thursday approved a Republican-backed bill that would prohibit classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, a measure Democrats denounced as being anti-LGBTQ. Dubbed the “don’t say gay” bill by opponents, the legislation is part of a broader political debate in the United States over how sexual orientation and gender identity should be recognized in schools, sports and healthcare settings. The Florida bill states that “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” The bill’s supporters said it was designed to keep schools from talking about topics young kids were not ready to process. U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, called it “hateful” in a tweet earlier this month and pledged that his administration would fight to protect the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.