Major school district won't allow students to 'opt-out' of LGBT lessons regardless of parents' wishes

By Jennifer Nuelle, Daily Caller News Foundation August 26, 2024

Says all 'sexual orientations are valid' and transgender individuals have more than one 'sexual orientation'

A Colorado school district is implementing an "LGBTQ+ tool kit" that will force students to attend lessons on related topics even if their parents disapprove.

The tool kit was created by the Denver School District and updated in July, prohibiting students from opting out of LGBTQ+ lessons and curriculum, no matter if a student or their parents have different beliefs. There is no parental permission required for teaching these topics and the only possible way to opt out is for sex-ed lessons.

The Denver Public Schools also offer several books on "LGBTQ+ topics," the document states. The tool kit notes that the age-appropriate "LGBTQ+" topics being taught will be allowed for every grade level.

The tool kit also outlines a glossary of LGBT-related definitions and specific rules staff must follow when handling a student who is transitioning, the document states. The document notes that no student, regardless of whether they are transgender or non-binary will be left out of an overnight trip and that a student's "sexual orientation" and gender are to remain private on these trips.

The Denver school district does not require parents' consent when using a student's pronouns at school, according to the document. The tool kit provides an entire section on how to help a student transition, even if their parents are unaware.

It states in the document that faculty are not to "out" students and that it is prohibited to share a student's "gender identity" or "sexual orientation" with their family. The kit also mentions that all "sexual orientations are valid" and that transgender individuals have more than one "sexual orientation."

The "LGBTQ+ topics" are a part of the school district's "commitment" to equity and inclusion, the document states.

When a student is transitioning, faculty and staff are encouraged to ask the student about their "self-asserted gender" and that transgender students do not have to physically prove they are transgender, the tool kit document states. The students who claim to be transgender have to be treated as such, no matter if they had any kind of surgery or if they don't dress or act differently.

A school district in Washington also forced students to learn about LGBT-related topics, not allowing them to have any way of opting out. The district wanted to teach students about pride in June 2023, and students who missed the lessons would be marked for an unexcused absence.

Parents in Maryland have had similar issues regarding schools keeping parents in the dark when it comes to gender transitions. In May, the Supreme Court denied hearing a case about a school in Maryland that hid students' "gender identity" from their parents.

The Denver School District was unable to be reached for comment.

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