Democrats on the Colorado State Board of Education are insisting that kindergarten through third grade children be instructed on what it means to be LGBTQ, and suggest parents who disagree would be discriminating bigots.
The board met this week to review the coming year school standards, and a decision by a committee to remove LGBTQ studies from those lower grades.
A decision isn’t expected until later this year, however, Chalkbeat covered the meeting with some fairly strong foreshadowing as to how this is all going to land.
Here’s the first clue:
“I want them back in,” said board member Rebecca McClellan, a Littleton Democrat. “It is inappropriate to single out one discriminated-against group from the standards. It gives the impression they should not exist, and that’s harmful, not just to LGBTQ students but to all students.”
For those still stumped, here’s another clue: The board is stacked with Democrats, who outnumber Republican 4-3.
Still not sure?
“We have to be bold in supporting our LGBTQ students just as we are bold in supporting all our students,” said board member Lisa Escárcega, a Denver Democrat. “We must provide a safe and accepting environment, and we do that by empowering teachers with the tools and the resources to teach to inclusive standards.
“I will not vote for standards that don’t include references to LGBTQ students at all grade levels.”
It looks like parents with children in Colorado public schools better get their five-year-old up to speed on what LGBTQ means, and other sensitive issues before a teacher explains why some boys play with dolls and some girls play with trucks, why some children have two moms or two dads “or knowing that gay people fought for their civil rights like other groups.”
Those were some example of lessons that Democrats think children that young can comprehend.
And even though many young ones don’t know how to spell or read when first entering school, or comprehending mathematical questions like 3+2=?, they will still be expected to identify and explain the relevance of notable civic leaders from different community groups including, African American, Latino, Asian American, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQ, and religious minorities.
Parents aren’t looking to exclude children, but these are pretty heavy subjects for little human beings who’ve only been walking upright for a few years and are more inclined to judge their friends by who can burp the loudest.