Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed bills banning children from undergoing transgender medical treatments or entering drag shows, and restricting pronoun use in classrooms.
Public bathrooms and changing rooms must also be separate “based on biological sex” under the legislation.
He said the bills would make the state a “refuge of sanity”. Critics called the legislation “mean spirited”.
The Republican governor is expected to enter the 2024 White House race soon.
Hundreds of similar regulations on LGBT issues have been proposed in conservative-run states across the US.
But Mr DeSantis’ prospects as a presidential contender have turned all eyes on the Sunshine State.
He is widely expected to declare his candidacy as soon as next week.
“We need to let our kids just be kids,” Mr DeSantis said as he signed the five bills on Wednesday at the evangelical Cambridge Christian School in Tampa.
“What we’ve said in Florida is we are going to remain a refuge of sanity and a citadel of…
This article was written by and originally published on www.bbc.co.uk