A Colorado school district has implemented an “LGBTQ+ toolkit” that will force students to attend classes on related topics even if their parents object.
The toolkit, created by the Denver School District and updated in July, prohibits students from opting out of LGBTQ+ classes or curriculum, regardless of whether the student or their parents hold different beliefs. Parental permission is not needed to teach these topics, and the only way they can be opted out is through sex education classes.
Denver Public Schools also offers several LGBTQ+ books. stateThe toolkit states that age-appropriate instruction on “LGBTQ+” topics will be permitted in all grade levels.
The toolkit also includes a glossary of LGBT-related definitions and specific rules staff must follow when dealing with students who are transitioning, the document states. No student, whether transgender or non-binary, will be excluded from overnight trips, and a student’s “sexual orientation” and gender must be kept confidential during the trip, the document states. (Related article: Biden administration faces lawsuit over rule forcing companies to adopt “transgender” policies)
LOUISVILLE, KY – January 24, 2022: A boy looks inside his backpack while sitting near his locker in a hallway at Carter Traditional Elementary School. (Photo by John Cherry/Getty Images)
The Denver School District doesn’t require parental consent to use a student’s pronouns in school, according to the document, and the toolkit has an entire section on how to help students transition even if their parents don’t know.
The document states that teachers should not “come out” to students and are prohibited from disclosing a student’s “gender identity” or “sexual orientation” to their families. The kit also states that all “sexual orientations are valid” and that transgender people have multiple “sexual orientations.”
The document states that the “LGBTQ+ topics” are part of the district’s “commitment” to equity and inclusion.
If a student is transitioning, faculty and staff are encouraged to ask the student about their “asserted gender,” and transgender students are not required to physically prove they are transgender, the toolkit document states. Students who claim to be transgender must be treated as such, regardless of whether they have had any surgery or changed their appearance or behavior.
A school district in Washington state also forced students to learn about LGBT topics without giving them any option to opt out. The district hopes to teach students about Pride in June 2023, and students who miss classes will be considered truant.
Parents in Maryland have had similar issues with schools not telling them anything about gender transitions. In May, the Supreme Court declined to hear a case in which a Maryland school hid a student’s “gender identity” from parents.
The Denver School District could not be reached for comment.
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