Fact check: Florida teens were asked to consider becoming Gay in a class assignment.

1. Summary of the results

The original statement is misleading in its characterization. Florida high school students were not asked to "become gay," but rather were given a questionnaire that included provocative questions about heterosexuality as part of a "Preparing for Student Success" course at Miami-Dade College ^[1]. The questionnaire was included in a McGraw Hill textbook titled "POWER: Strategies for Success in College and Life" ^[1] and originated from a 1972 "Heterosexual Questionnaire" by gay rights activist Martin Rochlin ^[1]. The questions included items like "What do you think caused your heterosexuality?" and "Is it possible that being straight is just a phase?" ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are missing from the original statement:

• The questionnaire was part of a broader course intended to help students develop academic goals and college success strategies ^[2]
• This occurred against the backdrop of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law, which restricts classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity ^[3]
• The law specifically prohibits "classroom instruction" but allows for incidental references and discussions ^[4]
• The questionnaire was actually a historical document from 1972, not a contemporary creation ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement appears to be framed to create maximum controversy by:

• Misrepresenting the nature of the assignment - it was a questionnaire challenging assumptions about heterosexuality, not an invitation to "become gay" ^[1]
• Omitting the educational context and purpose of the assignment

Different groups have competing interests in this narrative:

• Parents who viewed the questionnaire as "not normal" and "perversion" ^[1] and saw it as an attempt at indoctrination rather than education ^[2]
• Educational institutions attempting to promote discussion about sexuality and assumptions
• Political actors involved in the broader debate over Florida's "Parental Rights in Education" bill ^[5]

The controversy reflects ongoing tensions between educational institutions' academic freedom and parental rights in discussing sexuality in educational settings ^[6].