Whoooweeee....I finally read the entire 'Don't Say Gay' bill (HB 1557) - and man is that nickname misleading. A better one would be 'Stop Talking to Other People's Kids about Sex Behind their Back' bill.
What it does NOT do:
- Prohibit teachers from saying the word 'gay' in the classroom. (Sorry. Your favorite celebrities lied to you, that or they can't read.)
- Prohibit teachers from mentioning their same-sex spouse.
- Prohibits students from talking about their LGBT family members.
What it DOES do:
- Prohibit classroom instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in grades k-3; discussions in other grades must be age and developmentally appropriate.
- Mandate that schools have to inform parents of a change in their child's mental or emotional well being. (Like if the child asks to be referred to by a different gender.....)
- Mandates that "...school district[s] shall notify parents of each healthcare service offered at their student's school and the option to withhold consent or decline any specific service."
- Outlines what parents can do if their child's school does not follow the above. (Like file a lawsuit.)
- That's it.
I worked in schools for twelve years; four of those as a classroom teacher. Let me just tell you -----
- If a conversation ever turned to sex, I stopped it. Right there. And referred students to the people they should be having their "Birds & the Bees" talk with, their parents.
.....Because.....I understand boundaries.
-I taught Health & Sex Ed, but closely followed a specific text, often with another adult present, and ONLY with students who returned a signed permission slip.
.....Because.....I am a professional.
-This one might shock you, but I was overly private when it came to my personal life, especially relationships. My students knew the bare minimum.....
.....Because.....I understand my role is to teach them, NOT be their BFF.
-I am e-x-t-r-e-m-l-e-y religious, but would never, in a million years, think to discuss my personal beliefs with my students.
.....Because.....I understand my beliefs are not shared by others, and it is not my place to project something so controversial, no matter how important it is to me, onto other - people's - children. (Something I learned in Adulting 101.)
-I've taught current events, politics and all sorts of controversial issues. And guess what? My students had no clue which side I was on. When they asked, I refused to tell them. I insisted my job was to teach them HOW to think. Not WHAT to think.
.....Because.....that would be an abuse of power.
If you think I'm being dramatic.....here is just a 12 minute sampling of teachers pushing radical gender theories. (The stuff Democrats say isn't happening.)
And here are (just a few) articles about districts that have addressed students as a different gender and name, WITHOUT informing the kid's parents.
