Last week, the Miami-Dade School Board faced a room full of very concerned parents and voted 8-1 against declaring October 2022 “LGBTQ History Month.” The measure would have included teaching all area public school children the “virtues” of alternative sexualities and genders.

The only board member to vote for the recognition this year was its sponsor, Lucia Baez-Geller. Politico reported that when Baez-Geller explained at the school board meeting that, “This item does not indoctrinate students, it does not force an agenda on students,” her explanation stirred audible “groans from the audience.” Baez-Geller continued, “And, as was stated incorrectly, this item does not take away parental choice.” The parents were clearly not buying this assurance.

Politico also explained “many other speakers lined up in opposition to the proposed resolution, claiming that it undermines the rights of parents and their religious liberties” adding these parents said it “was a ‘sleazy’ way to circumvent Florida’s parental rights law.”

This is referring to Florida HB 1557, deceptively referred to by elite media outlets as the “Don’t Say Gay law,” which actually “reinforces a parent’s fundamental right to make decisions regarding the care and upbringing of his or her child in the public school setting” according to the bill’s official legislative summary.  This law went into effect July 1, 2022 to great fanfare.

Parents Emboldened Over Last Year

This law clearly has made a difference this year, emboldening concerned, engaged parents to stand for their rights to speak into what their children are being taught at local public schools. Last year, the Miami-Dade school board easily passed a similar measure last year by a 7-1 margin.

But as Christi Fraga, a board member voting against the measure this year said, “I do believe this is in direct violation of our parental rights bill.” She referenced the covert nature of the proposal saying, “If not so directly, in spirit, it is. Because this is saying a full endorsement [of LGBT ideology] in the entire district of this month — that includes kindergarten through 12th grade.” Fraga was clearly not alone in seeing through the ploy.

John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Policy Council, explains the increased boldness of Florida parents and those across the country, “I think what we are seeing is the aftermath of COVID where millions of parents saw with their own eyes the shocking nature of what was coming from the classrooms and into their homes through computer screens.” He explains this has resulted in “an army of grizzly mommas who are actively engaged in monitoring the education of their children and are willing to push back in person before school boards.” Stemberger adds, “Much of this leadership is coming from Florida where parent’s rights are being respected, supported and championed by our courageous state leaders like Governor Ron DeSantis.”

False, Manipulative Claims

The proposal’s school board sponsor claimed at last week’s meeting that a “symbolic gesture” was hijacked by “ugly falsities” and “just plain disinformation.” Other supporters of the proposal employed the tired and utterly false line that such measures are needed to reduce depression and suicide risk among students.

This is clearly false because the Atlantic Monthly recently published a major story on dramatically increasing rates of depression among young people, explaining it was highest among “LGBT” identified young people. And the greatest increase has been over the very same time period that support for all things gay and trans have hit unprecedented heights. If such support did make things better, everyone would expect the trendline to be going down. But LGBT depression is spiking. People should stop falling for this false and manipulative claim.

Thankfully, parents and most of the Miami-Dade school board did not fall for it and strongly voiced their opposition to official ideological indoctrination couched as “compassion.” Let us hope this is an early sign of parents and community leaders being emboldened to strongly resist this sexualizing agenda.

 

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