'Blizzard of lies': 5 highlights from DeSantis vs. Newsom 'Great State Debate'
'It's pornography': Parental rights in education
Newsom and DeSantis also sparred over parental rights in education. Florida has been at the forefront of the national debate on the hot-button issue, passing the controversial Parental Rights in Education Act, which prohibits gender identity and sexuality instruction to elementary school students between kindergarten and third grade.
At one point during the debate, DeSantis held up a visual aid depicting some of the sexually explicit cartoons from the controversial book Gender Queer, which has featured in some public school curricula and proven to be a flashpoint at some school board meetings.
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"This is a book that's in some of the schools in California, called Gender Queer," DeSantis said. "This is pornography. It's cartoons. It's aimed at children. And it's wrong. This should not be in schools."
Newsom shot back by claiming that "1,406 books have been banned just last year under Ron DeSantis' leadership. I love that he keeps pulling this out. I've seen this. He's been doing this all over the campaign."
He then accused DeSantis of using "education as a sword for your cultural purge."
