Gauff speaks out on Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill - "I'm against it"

American tennis star Coco Gauff has shared her thoughts on the recently proposed 'Don't Say Gay' Florida education law, stating she does not agree with the concept.

The proposal, referred to as the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, would prohibit classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity for students in certain grade levels.

"I'm against it," Gauff, 17, told reporters Wednesday ahead of her first match at the BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells event in California. "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."

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The Parental Rights in Education measure, more commonly referred to as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, recently passed both chambers of the Florida Legislature.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is a proponent of the bill and is expected to sign it into law.

"Every [LGBTQ+] person I've known has known that they were part of that community since they were young," Gauff 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."

Gauff, who is from Delray Beach, is the youngest player to be ranked among the Top 100 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).