A bill in her home state of Florida that would prohibit classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity for many young students is opposed by teen tennis star Coco Gauff.
Gauff told reporters that she was against it and that she had friends who were against it. I feel that is normal.
The Florida measure, referred to by its opponents as the "Don't say gay" bill, has stirred national controversy amid an increasingly partisan debate over what schools should teach children about race and gender.
Gauff said that every person he has known has known that they were part of the community.
The Republican-backed legislation, formally called the Parental Rights in Education bill, bars classroom instruction in public schools on sexual orientation or gender identity for children in kindergarten through third grade.
Democrats say such policies will hurt the community.
Gauff, who turns 18 on Sunday, rose to prominence when she defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019, taking the tennis world by storm before falling in the fourth round to eventual champion Simona Halep.
She sees parallels between the struggle for racial justice and the Florida bill.
Gauff said it was important to have those conversations when he talked about the Black Lives Matter movement. It makes a difference when you don't have to hide who you are, and I think it's important to have those tough conversations.
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