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Ron DeSantis has signed into law the controversial "Don't Say Gay" law
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Douglas R Clifford/AP
Zander Moricz is 18 years old, has red-blond curls and is openly gay.
The class representative of a US high school was not allowed to talk about the latter in his graduation speech.
Since March, the Florida state law has banned students and teachers from speaking openly about their sexual orientation in school.
Moricz still wanted to send a message – and spoke about another feature that distinguishes him from many of his classmates: his curly hair.
“I used to hate my curls.
Ashamed of them, morning and night I tried to smooth them out.
But the daily damage caused trying to fix me became too much,” Moricz said in his speech.
"Even though it's difficult to have curly hair in Florida due to the humidity, I decided to be proud of who I am and started going to school the real me."
The 18-year-old's final speech was widely shared on social networks.
His words are seen as a protest against the controversial legal situation in Florida.
The legal document, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" law by critics, has been in effect since March.
It prohibits students and teachers from generally speaking about sexual orientation in class – the words gay, lesbian, bi, trans or queer may not be said in class.
Actually, the law affects children from kindergarten to third grade.
From the point of view of the critics, it is formulated in such a way that the ban on certain teaching content can also be applied to older children.
As the US broadcaster CNN reports, Moricz had reassured himself during the preparations for his speech what he was allowed to speak about.
The headmaster told him he couldn't talk about his homosexuality.
"He was always very supportive of me and my identity and I was really hurt," Moricz said, according to CNN.
In his speech, however, he found warm words for the school staff.
His teachers at Pine View School in Osprey were some of the first people he turned to for advice because he had no "other curly-haired people" to talk to.
The support he received from school helped him grow.
'Now I'm happy, and that's the point.
There will be so many curly haired kids who need a community like Pine View and won't have one," Moricz said on stage.
"Instead, they'll try to repair themselves so they can survive in Florida's humid climate."
Applause and hug from the headmaster
Moricz led a school strike against the controversial law back in March.
He is also among a group of plaintiffs challenging the law.
According to CNN, he felt obliged to devote his closing speech to the topic.
"Now I am happy.
Now I'm happy and that's the point.
There will be so many curly haired kids who need a community like Pine View and won't have one," Moricz said.
"Instead, they will try to heal themselves so they can survive in Florida's humid climate."
Headmaster Stephen Covert gave applause and a hug after the speech.
Moricz wants to study at the renowned University of Havard from autumn.
He reminded his classmates how important it is to protest against injustice.
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