Insurance company State Farm says it has ended its partnership with the LGBTQ GenderCool Project amid criticism from conservatives over books for younger children on transgender issues.
In a statement on Tuesday, the company said that while it will continue to back organizations that are focused on LGBTQ issues, it does not support a “required curriculum in schools on this topic.”
“As a result, we have made the decision we will no longer be affiliated with the organization,” State Farm said. “We will continue to explore how we can support our associates, as well as organizations that align with our commitment to diversity and inclusion, including the LGBTQ+ community.”
The Washington Examiner reported on Monday that State Farm’s partnership with the nonprofit advocacy group included encouraging its agents in Florida to donate three books to local public libraries and schools.
The three books GenderCool promoted were “A Kids Book About Being Transgender,” “A Kids Book About Being Non-Binary,” and “A Kids Book About Being Inclusive,” which the group marketed in a three-book bundle to children who are 5 years of age or older.
“The project’s goal is to increase representation of LGBTQ+ books and support our communities in having challenging, important and empowering conversations with children age 5+,” State Farm had said in an email.
The move from State Farm comes nearly two months after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law the Parental Rights in Education bill, better known as “Don’t Say Gay.” It prohibits primary school teachers from classroom instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity, while educators of all grade levels are prohibited from instruction on topics that are deemed not “age appropriate or developmentally appropriate” for their students.
Many critics, organizations and companies, including Walt Disney, have publicly opposed the new law, saying it will harm LGBTQ youth and infringe on teachers’ free speech.
In response, DeSantis signed into law last month a bill that strips Disney’s long-held municipal autonomy at its Orlando-based theme parks.