- Heather Morris says former "Glee" costar Naya Rivera would be speaking out against "Don't Say Gay."
- Morris posted a throwback "Glee" scene of their characters in support of LGBTQIA rights.
- The "Fatal Fandom" star said "social media can sometimes be the most positive way" to speak out.
Former "Glee" star Heather Morris played the lovable Brittany S. Pierce, who married her high school sweetheart Santana Lopez (played by Naya Rivera, who died in July 2020) on the final season of the Fox hit.
While promoting her upcoming Lifetime movie "Fatal Fandom," Morris told Insider that she thinks her friend and former on-screen wife Rivera would be "so on top of" following the news about all of the anti-LGBTQIA legislation being proposed in states across the country.
Morris said she thinks Rivera would "just keep the message going that you are all loved and we're all here for you and you are seen."
The actor recently posted a throwback scene from "Glee" to Instagram featuring Brittany standing up to Santana's homophobic abuela Alma (Ivonne Coll) when Alma said she wouldn't come to her wedding.
After Alma refuses to come to the wedding, Brittany says: "Good. I'm glad you're not coming. You know, the New York Times said half the increase in support of gay marriage is due to generational turnover. That's what smart people call crazy, uptight bitches dying. You guys lost, okay? And honestly, the rest of us are just going about our business being normal and waiting for you not to be around. And not because you can stop us from getting married but just because you're kind of annoying."
Though she didn't name a specific piece of legislation, Morris captioned the post: "A modern love letter to society. Our writers 👏👏👏."
"Education is key #saygay," she added.
"I think just with the terror of our democracy kind of scaring this community into a deep well, it's daunting," Morris told Insider when asked to reflect on her post and what Rivera's response might be. "I'm not personally an LGBTQIA-plus member, but I feel so deeply with this community because of our fan base."
"And just hearing that these leaders are trying to take away their voice, is just heartbreaking," the "Spring Breakers" star continued.
She said that "social media can sometimes be the most positive way" to speak out for people. Plus, she said the scene was a "strong" moment for her character Brittany and for Rivera as an actor. "Just the stance on it, I felt like hit home really well for what's happening in the world," she added.
Standing up for the LGBTQIA community is important to Morris
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education bill into law for the state on Monday, March 28. Dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" law by critics, it's controversial because when it takes effect July 1, it will significantly limit teachers' instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity.
Speaking with Insider, Morris referenced the legislation and said she's "grateful" that many legislators are "overturning" laws that would limit rights within the LGBTQIA community.
Some politicians and advocates across the country are indeed taking steps to oppose discriminatory legislation.
Lawyers for the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP filed a federal complaint against "Don't Say Gay" in Florida courts on March 31 on behalf of Equality Florida and Family Equality, as well as students, parents, and a teacher.
The complaint states that the law "violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution — by discriminatorily censoring classroom instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in Florida public schools, not only for grades K-3 but for any grade as long as someone concludes that the discussion is somehow not 'age-appropriate.'"
As for similar legislation, on March 21, Gov. Eric Holcomb of Indiana vetoed a bill in the state legislature that would have banned transgender people from participating in girls' sports in school as reported by the New York Times. On March 22, Utah governor Spencer Cox vetoed a bill in his state legislature that would do the same, the Times also reported. However, three days later the Utah legislature voted to overturn his conviction, the newspaper reported.
Morris told Insider she knows parents of LGBTQIA children and youth "are also a little fearful" so she hopes her advocacy can somehow act as a bit of a "backbone for the families" to rely on for support.
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