(Adds background on rule, related legislation)
By Joseph Ax
April 19 (Reuters) - Florida education officials voted on Wednesday to prohibit virtually any classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in all public school grades, expanding on a law signed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis that barred such lessons for younger students.
The new rule, which does not require legislative approval, is part of a broader rightward push on cultural issues championed by DeSantis, who is widely expected to run for president in 2024.
Dozens of speakers offered public comment for nearly an hour, with most opposed to the measure, before the unanimous vote to approve it by the state board of education, whose members are appointed by the governor.
The new regulation bars teachers from providing such lessons to students in grades four through 12, unless the instruction is required by state standards or is part of a health class that parents can opt their children out of.
Violating the rule could result in the suspension or revocation of an educator's teaching license.
Last year, DeSantis backed a new law that barred instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation from kindergarten through third grade, arguing that parents, rather than teachers, should decide when to discuss those subjects with their children.
Critics, including LGBTQ advocates and President Joe Biden, a Democrat, have termed it the "Don't Say Gay" law and said it marginalizes LGBTQ students. (Reporting by Joseph Ax Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Grant McCool and David Gregorio)
