My Thoughts on Florida's Temporary AP Psychology Ban

Octavio Jones/Reuters

As a high school student, I feel that being able to take a variety of courses that include diverse voices is important and a right for all students. AP Psychology was one of my favorite classes and I truly believe it was fundamental. My teacher even said that he believed AP Psychology should be a core class for all high school students. I completely agree with him. AP Psychology not only teaches students about human behavior, but it serves as a class to learn about acceptance of other people; how people connect and understand others and their surroundings. 

I've loved being able to learn about human biases and how LGBTQ+ and other forms of identity play into these biases. Florida banning such a class was as shocking as it could have been. I'm a firm believer that education shouldn't be confined to a certain viewpoint if we want to have a world with varied opinions. Opting not to take a class is different from not having the option to take a class. Even though this ban was reversed, the fact that it happened in the first place goes to show that not everyone believes in inclusivity in education, even in our modern day and age. 

Gender identity plays a crucial role in human experiences. Not having a class to explore the complexities of gender identity and how people are affected by it both internally and externally is frankly backward, not just for the LGBTQ+ community, but for everyone. I find that this temporary ban should push for more diverse content in American education since the real world isn't made up of clones but different individuals with different experiences. 

This ban has conveyed that education can be hindered in the "melting pot" country, something which is frightening to think about.