“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
That line from William Shakespeare’s quintessential work Romeo & Juliet expresses the value that is placed on a name. However, when it comes to academia, such value does not exist.
Without parental consent or prior notification, many school districts have adopted policies and practices that allow them a certain level of autonomy over the children in their education systems. In fact, according to genderinclusiveschools.org, at least 15 states have adopted such policies, including Rhode Island, California, New York, Washington, Michigan, and Minnesota.
This policy from Maine, for example, echoes the sentiment of an increasing number of schools across America: ‘If a student so chooses,” it states, “the educational institution’s employees should be required to address the student by the student’s chosen name and use pronouns consistent with the student’s gender identity. The educational institution should also, at the request of any student, instruct its students to address the student by the student’s chosen name and use pronouns consistent with the student’s gender identity.’
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Contrary to popular opinion, this is not simply about what are considered ‘preferred pronouns,’ or what the student chooses to be called. Those choosing to go against such policies can face serious repercussions. Another such case featured in a Wall Street Journal editorial entitled, “Pronouns and the Philosophy Professor,” Shawnee State University Prof. Nicholas Meriwether found his career at risk following his decision to use standard guidelines of gender to determine what he called his students.
“After a class in early 2018, a student whom Mr. Meriwether had called “sir” approached and requested to be addressed with feminine pronouns. The professor said he wasn’t sure that he could comply. As such, Judge Thapar writes, “because his sincerely held religious beliefs prevented him from communicating messages about gender identity that he believes are false.” The student allegedly got hostile, saying “I guess this means I can call you a [expletive],” while promising that Mr. Meriwether would be fired.”
The article continues: “Mr. Meriwether’s dean suggested a way forward: He could simply quit using all sex-based references, including basic pronouns like “he” and “she.” The professor objected that trying to speak like this would be impossible, but he began calling the transgender student by last name only. Complaining to administrators, the student threatened to hire a lawyer.”
Although the case was finally overturned on appeal, the charge is no less a warning for all that dare to consider biology as a basis for social interaction. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, the many societal and familial implications are far reaching to say the very least.
The erosion of standardized or traditional male and female roles is but one of the many challenges we face every day.
Nevertheless, strive as we might to properly raise our children, society at large seemingly attempts to undo all that we instill within the sanctity of our homes. And unfortunately- these attempts are not age-restrictive.
In 2019, The Federalist’s Helen Raleigh released the piece, “Over Parent Objections, Public School Teaches 6-Year-Olds About ‘Transgender Ravens’ And Gender Fluidity.” The title alone should be disconcerting to all who read it. In her writing, Raleigh references an issue at Superior Elementary that began with a memo from the school’s principal, Jennifer Bedford encouraging parents to, “Save The Date.”
But this is no party. This is brainwashing children.
The memo read as follows: “This story is about a transgender raven in a community of animals … The story’s message is about the importance of being seen for who you are on the inside, rather than how you are perceived on the outside.” In addition to that, the emailed memo contained much more: According to the remainder of the story, the email “included links to three videos that would be shown to kids prior to the musical performance: “He, She, and They – What is Gender,” “No More Gender Roles,” and “Way.
These videos come from a YouTube channel called the “Queer Kid Stuff,” which bills itself as providing an “LGBTQ+ educational web series for children ages 3+, hosted by a tie-wearing queer lady, Lindsay, and her non-binary best-stuffed friend, Teddy. Gender Studies 101 meets Mr. Rodgers’ Neighborhood!” Some other videos from this channel include “Drag queen Makeup Transformation” and “Unicorns Are Queer Horses.”
Despite parents’ strong objections, and certain families opting out the day of, the event went on as scheduled. While there are far too many cases to mention, one thing is clear-our children are under attack. These assaults are not waiting for them to reach their teenage years but rather are beginning with a target audience as early
as Pre-School and Kindergarten.
In case you missed it, some schools even use a “gender unicorn” to help young children pick between seventy-one gender combinations. That’s right, seventy-one.
Don’t be fooled; the public-school systems are becoming more and more dangerous each year.
They are not collateral pawns in such a subtle and sinister system- they are a part of its driving force. Parents should never have given their children’s school’s such power over their offspring- as this is one such result. Be advised: when it comes to our children, we have a mandate to not only charge academia with the care and nurturing of our youth, but we must also inspect what we expect. Our children are counting on us.
