Hayward Unified School District (HUSD) sent its staff an email saying that parents cannot opt their children out of lessons that discuss an identity protected in the district’s “Non- Discrimination & Harassment and Equity & Anti–Racism” policy, saying that doing so would be considered discriminatory.
According to the email, parents can excuse their children from “comprehensive sexuality education” but not from “anti-bias lessons about people who are LGBTQ,” due to California’s FAIR Education Act of 2011. The act requires California schools to teach the history of people from “diverse, racial and ethnic identities.”
These “anti-bias lessons” often instruct students to accept different gender identities. They also instill an anti-Christian worldview and moral code in children.
Further, “anti-bias lessons” can easily lead to gender affirmation, causing children severe confusion and distress. Minors are undergoing dangerous, irreversible surgeries because of ideas disguised as “inclusivity.” Teaching gender affirmative ideas in schools is even more dangerous now that the state of California can remove children from their parents’ custody if the parents object to their child seeking a gender “transition.”
The email goes on to say, “Our HUSD anti-bias, anti-racist and equity policies, as well as California laws, guide us to provide inclusive lessons that promote safety and acceptance for all identities and to not allow the exclusion of students from these lessons.” However, allowing parents their right to protect their children from certain ideas doesn’t negatively impact the “safety” of others. Rather, the best way to protect children is to respect parental rights.
The email also gave staff suggested talking points to address parents who don’t want their children to be a part of lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation.
“We are talking about respect,” read one talking point. “Anti-LGBTQ, gender-related put-downs and racial slurs are among the most common slurs in school environments, and addressing these slurs is essential for the physical, emotional and academic well-being of all students.”
However, schools should take measures to prevent bullying and insults, while teaching kids to have respectful dialogue with those who have differing views on gender and sexuality. Instead, the district’s policy and California law assume the only way to keep LGBTQ identifying kids safe is to require all students to affirm LGBTQ identities and behavior.
“We provide a free, public education that is inclusive of all identities,” the email continued. “If the curriculum at public schools is not what parents want, they can choose to send their children to a private school.”
Regardless of where parents send their children, parents alone have the right to direct their children’s education, which includes choosing which lessons their children will or will not learn.
Parents have every right to opt their children out of lessons, especially lessons that contain controversial, anti-Christian ideas such as gender ideology. Children belong to their parents, not the school district or the state.
