Teacher accused of injuring students for showing gay Disney movie

An American teacher is under investigation for showing fifth grade students a Disney animated film featuring a homosexual character during class. Jenna Barbie was accused of injuring children and violating school policy.

According to British newspaper The keeper, the mother of a student reported the teacher to the Florida Department of Education, USA, after the teacher showed the film Strange World to the class. This is a violation of the law, commonly known as “Don’t Say You’re Gay,” introduced by the Republican governor, which prohibits students from asking questions about sexual and gender identity during class.

“The role of the teacher is not to impose beliefs on the student. Showing films like this helps teachers open the door to conversations that are not appropriate for our class,” said an education official quoted by the paper.

The teacher, who is a first-year student, explained that the choice of this film had nothing to do with issues of sexual orientation. He mentioned that animation touches on important issues in the school curriculum. On TikTok, he posted a video in which he presented his side of the story.

“I have a lot of students who have been looking for me this year, long before I showed them a film to talk about my sexuality. They tell me that they are part of the LGBTQI + community, I listen to them, but do not intervene and do not try to inspire them with ideas,” the teacher emphasized.

The students who watched the film “Weird World” in class were questioned individually as part of the investigation. “Can you imagine the trauma this could bring to a child?” he said.

Out in late 2022, Strange World is a comedy film about a family of explorers who travel the Earth in search of a rare plant that can power society. The main character, Ethan Clayde, is gay and in love with another male character. The story, purportedly intended for children, caused controversy in some conservative US states.