Community Message Concerning Access to the Carver Educational Services Center on Thursday, July 20

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of all the testimonies, this one was the most on point.

She's welcome to send her kids to a private school or home school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of all the testimonies, this one was the most on point.

She's welcome to send her kids to a private school or home school.

Imagine if everyone who is against this does that. What would happen to the MCPS budget? Think again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A new piece from Em Espey in MoCo360, this morning:

https://moco360.media/2023/07/20/volume-of-lgbtq-opt-out-requests-caused-significant-disruptions-mcps-says-in-legal-filing/

Clearly there are quite a few people who agree with the protestors. MCPS and the BOE might want to at least hear them out.

MCPS and the BoE has heard them out. They have had a lot of opportunity to have their say, and they are continuing to have that opportunity. You need to distinguish between "having your say" and "getting your way."

+1. No one is being blocked from submitting testimony or putting themselves on the schedule for public comment. Nor are they being prevented from reaching out to their district representative on the BoE or Central Office itself. If anything MCPS is making sure this is done in an orderly and safe way.

Let's be careful not to hyperbolize, here. Speaking slots are capped at 20 & at a premium, leaving many out in the cold (many speaking on one subject, saying the same/similar things, keep other subjects entirely off the table -- for months, if not entirely). Further, slots were reduced to 2 minutes from 3 minutes -- already far to little to make meaningful/detailed enough arguments to counter anything MCPS presents with no effective time limitation of their own (and with no opportunity for timely rebuttal by the community). Those providing testimony have to speed-read their way through, rarely able to properly puctuate/emphasize/elicit audience empathy, a few talented orators excepted, let alone present counter-arguments to anticipated MCPS responses.

MCPS and the board don't even respond to the opt-out testimonies at this point. They just ignore them.

You're inferring MCPS is ignoring them. That's on you.

I'm not inferring anything. I watch the BOE proceedings and the members remark on all the public comments except for the ones that are related to the opt-out. They engaged the first time, but they've stopped engaging after Lynne Harris and Arvin Kim doubled down and said the protesters were fueled by hate and ignorance.

I watched the meeting today. They had a very in depth discussion. I suspect Rivera-Oven is on the side of the protesters because she brought it up and then they had a discussion. Lynn Harris, as usual, was totally off base, disparaging people in the process. McKnight ended the discussion by tying a bow around it and saying the community needed to come together no matter what the outcome. Bottom line it is not settled yet, and the protesters are being heard.

I'm PP who made previous comment and I haven't watched today's meeting, so my comments about them ignoring was based on previous meetings. Definitely going to watch to see what was said today!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of all the testimonies, this one was the most on point.

LMAO WOW. Points for the creative and theatricality here. This was good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of all the testimonies, this one was the most on point.

She's welcome to send her kids to a private school or home school.

Imagine if everyone who is against this does that. What would happen to the MCPS budget? Think again.

You are acting like MCPS is a for profit corporation. It's not. Parents are not required to enroll their students in public school. If these parents removed their kids it would relieve some of the enrollment pressure that we can't build fast enough to relieve.

As far as that parent is concerned saying “I will not strip my children of this innocence…they are mine, not yours!” - she stripped them of their innocence the moment she sent them to public school. They are surrounded by peers who are members of the LGBTQ+ community and who will talk about the fact that they have 2 mommies or 2 daddies or their dad now is now a woman or whatever. If she wants to isolate her kids from the topic, she needs to send them to private school or home school them.

[Anonymous]

So acknowledging that there are people different from you = stripping of innocence? I just can't wrap my mind around why regular people who happen to be LGBTQ+ are so terrifying. It's so sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of all the testimonies, this one was the most on point.

She's welcome to send her kids to a private school or home school.

Imagine if everyone who is against this does that. What would happen to the MCPS budget? Think again.

You are acting like MCPS is a for profit corporation. It's not. Parents are not required to enroll their students in public school. If these parents removed their kids it would relieve some of the enrollment pressure that we can't build fast enough to relieve.

As far as that parent is concerned saying “I will not strip my children of this innocence…they are mine, not yours!” - she stripped them of their innocence the moment she sent them to public school. They are surrounded by peers who are members of the LGBTQ+ community and who will talk about the fact that they have 2 mommies or 2 daddies or their dad now is now a woman or whatever. If she wants to isolate her kids from the topic, she needs to send them to private school or home school them.

Kids hang out with kids like themselves, so I doubt they are listening or going near the kids with two dads. Even if they did, it's not a big deal. The big deal is books targeting kids in kindergarten that tell them that you can change your gender if you want or that you can be romantic with someone of the same gender. There shouldn't be any books about young kids having crushes being read to kids that young, regardless of the gender. It is really inappropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A new piece from Em Espey in MoCo360, this morning:

https://moco360.media/2023/07/20/volume-of-lgbtq-opt-out-requests-caused-significant-disruptions-mcps-says-in-legal-filing/

Clearly there are quite a few people who agree with the protestors. MCPS and the BOE might want to at least hear them out.

MCPS and the BoE has heard them out. They have had a lot of opportunity to have their say, and they are continuing to have that opportunity. You need to distinguish between "having your say" and "getting your way."

If the same material about gender identity is taught in the Family Life unit, people can opt out. But when it's taught in the English Language Arts unit, people cannot. This does not make any sense.

I predict this case will go to the Supreme Court and MCPS will lose there. It will take a few years, after MCPS spends millions of dollars defending it.

The MCPS response filed in the lawsuit will help clear up your confusion. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L0BKX9u-EuvS8B2pkvB0zY58eqUsDSfg/view

The teacher is not just going to read with the class a book about "a prince falling in love with a knight" (one of the books MCPS uses to teach English Language Arts). The teacher will have a discussion about gender identity with elementary school students about that story after reading the book. That discussion will cover the same material used in the Family Life and Human Sexuality curriculum that a family can opt out. But now in the ELA part, people cannot opt out. That's a clear inconsistency.

Why would the teacher have any discussion about gender in this case. When they read Cinderella or another other story the discussion is not around gender. The discussion is on characters, plot, comparing/contrast with another story, specific themes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of all the testimonies, this one was the most on point.

"I will not strip my children of this innocence ... they are mine, not yours!"

Everyone agrees they are her children. But as the court decision cited by MCPS in their legal filing says, "while parents may have a fundamental right whether to send their child to a public school, they do not have a fundamental right generally to direct how a public school teaches their child."

If she wants to direct how her child is taught, she needs to home school or send her child to private school.

Here's a link to that court decision, if you're interested: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-6th-circuit/1418844.html


BLAU v. FORT THOMAS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT (2005)
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit.
"In 2001, Highlands Middle School, which is located in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, adopted a dress code for its students.   On behalf of his daughter, Amanda Blau, then in the sixth grade at Highlands Middle School, and himself, Robert Blau challenged the constitutionality of the regulation, claiming that it violates (1) Amanda's First Amendment right to freedom of expression, (2) her substantive-due-process right to wear the clothes of her choosing and (3) Robert's substantive-due-process right to control the dress of his child.   The district court found no constitutional violation and neither do we."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of all the testimonies, this one was the most on point.

She's welcome to send her kids to a private school or home school.

Imagine if everyone who is against this does that. What would happen to the MCPS budget? Think again.

You are acting like MCPS is a for profit corporation. It's not. Parents are not required to enroll their students in public school. If these parents removed their kids it would relieve some of the enrollment pressure that we can't build fast enough to relieve.

As far as that parent is concerned saying “I will not strip my children of this innocence…they are mine, not yours!” - she stripped them of their innocence the moment she sent them to public school. They are surrounded by peers who are members of the LGBTQ+ community and who will talk about the fact that they have 2 mommies or 2 daddies or their dad now is now a woman or whatever. If she wants to isolate her kids from the topic, she needs to send them to private school or home school them.

Kids hang out with kids like themselves, so I doubt they are listening or going near the kids with two dads. Even if they did, it's not a big deal. The big deal is books targeting kids in kindergarten that tell them that you can change your gender if you want or that you can be romantic with someone of the same gender. There shouldn't be any books about young kids having crushes being read to kids that young, regardless of the gender. It is really inappropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of all the testimonies, this one was the most on point.

She's welcome to send her kids to a private school or home school.

Imagine if everyone who is against this does that. What would happen to the MCPS budget? Think again.

You are acting like MCPS is a for profit corporation. It's not. Parents are not required to enroll their students in public school. If these parents removed their kids it would relieve some of the enrollment pressure that we can't build fast enough to relieve.

As far as that parent is concerned saying “I will not strip my children of this innocence…they are mine, not yours!” - she stripped them of their innocence the moment she sent them to public school. They are surrounded by peers who are members of the LGBTQ+ community and who will talk about the fact that they have 2 mommies or 2 daddies or their dad now is now a woman or whatever. If she wants to isolate her kids from the topic, she needs to send them to private school or home school them.

Kids hang out with kids like themselves, so I doubt they are listening or going near the kids with two dads. Even if they did, it's not a big deal. The big deal is books targeting kids in kindergarten that tell them that you can change your gender if you want or that you can be romantic with someone of the same gender. There shouldn't be any books about young kids having crushes being read to kids that young, regardless of the gender. It is really inappropriate.

This.

The issue is not acknowledging the mere existence of someone who is LGBTQ. It is shoving the ideology and lifestyles in the form of CURRICULUM that is causing the pushback.

No one cares if gay kids are in school. But pushing an ideology and theory that is incredibly politically divisive is not ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of all the testimonies, this one was the most on point.

She's welcome to send her kids to a private school or home school.

Imagine if everyone who is against this does that. What would happen to the MCPS budget? Think again.

You are acting like MCPS is a for profit corporation. It's not. Parents are not required to enroll their students in public school. If these parents removed their kids it would relieve some of the enrollment pressure that we can't build fast enough to relieve.

As far as that parent is concerned saying “I will not strip my children of this innocence…they are mine, not yours!” - she stripped them of their innocence the moment she sent them to public school. They are surrounded by peers who are members of the LGBTQ+ community and who will talk about the fact that they have 2 mommies or 2 daddies or their dad now is now a woman or whatever. If she wants to isolate her kids from the topic, she needs to send them to private school or home school them.

Kids hang out with kids like themselves, so I doubt they are listening or going near the kids with two dads. Even if they did, it's not a big deal. The big deal is books targeting kids in kindergarten that tell them that you can change your gender if you want or that you can be romantic with someone of the same gender. There shouldn't be any books about young kids having crushes being read to kids that young, regardless of the gender. It is really inappropriate.

Fairly certain that whether someone has two mommies or daddies is no where near the first question that kids ask one another. When they find the info out the just think it’s different than their home and either accept that or ask about it. It has no bearing for them on whether they like or hang out with a kid. Adults create that bias.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of all the testimonies, this one was the most on point.

She's welcome to send her kids to a private school or home school.

Imagine if everyone who is against this does that. What would happen to the MCPS budget? Think again.

You are acting like MCPS is a for profit corporation. It's not. Parents are not required to enroll their students in public school. If these parents removed their kids it would relieve some of the enrollment pressure that we can't build fast enough to relieve.

As far as that parent is concerned saying “I will not strip my children of this innocence…they are mine, not yours!” - she stripped them of their innocence the moment she sent them to public school. They are surrounded by peers who are members of the LGBTQ+ community and who will talk about the fact that they have 2 mommies or 2 daddies or their dad now is now a woman or whatever. If she wants to isolate her kids from the topic, she needs to send them to private school or home school them.

Kids hang out with kids like themselves, so I doubt they are listening or going near the kids with two dads. Even if they did, it's not a big deal. The big deal is books targeting kids in kindergarten that tell them that you can change your gender if you want or that you can be romantic with someone of the same gender. There shouldn't be any books about young kids having crushes being read to kids that young, regardless of the gender. It is really inappropriate.

This.

The issue is not acknowledging the mere existence of someone who is LGBTQ. It is shoving the ideology and lifestyles in the form of CURRICULUM that is causing the pushback.

No one cares if gay kids are in school. But pushing an ideology and theory that is incredibly politically divisive is not ok.

So we should get rid of books with any kind of crushes or falling in love(ie a lot of fairy tales)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of all the testimonies, this one was the most on point.

She's welcome to send her kids to a private school or home school.

Imagine if everyone who is against this does that. What would happen to the MCPS budget? Think again.

You are acting like MCPS is a for profit corporation. It's not. Parents are not required to enroll their students in public school. If these parents removed their kids it would relieve some of the enrollment pressure that we can't build fast enough to relieve.

As far as that parent is concerned saying “I will not strip my children of this innocence…they are mine, not yours!” - she stripped them of their innocence the moment she sent them to public school. They are surrounded by peers who are members of the LGBTQ+ community and who will talk about the fact that they have 2 mommies or 2 daddies or their dad now is now a woman or whatever. If she wants to isolate her kids from the topic, she needs to send them to private school or home school them.

Kids hang out with kids like themselves, so I doubt they are listening or going near the kids with two dads. Even if they did, it's not a big deal. The big deal is books targeting kids in kindergarten that tell them that you can change your gender if you want or that you can be romantic with someone of the same gender. There shouldn't be any books about young kids having crushes being read to kids that young, regardless of the gender. It is really inappropriate.

This.

The issue is not acknowledging the mere existence of someone who is LGBTQ. It is shoving the ideology and lifestyles in the form of CURRICULUM that is causing the pushback.

No one cares if gay kids are in school. But pushing an ideology and theory that is incredibly politically divisive is not ok.

Which ideology and theory? The existence of people who are LGBTQ? If you find that incredibly politically divisive, that's on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of all the testimonies, this one was the most on point.

She's welcome to send her kids to a private school or home school.

Imagine if everyone who is against this does that. What would happen to the MCPS budget? Think again.

You are acting like MCPS is a for profit corporation. It's not. Parents are not required to enroll their students in public school. If these parents removed their kids it would relieve some of the enrollment pressure that we can't build fast enough to relieve.

As far as that parent is concerned saying “I will not strip my children of this innocence…they are mine, not yours!” - she stripped them of their innocence the moment she sent them to public school. They are surrounded by peers who are members of the LGBTQ+ community and who will talk about the fact that they have 2 mommies or 2 daddies or their dad now is now a woman or whatever. If she wants to isolate her kids from the topic, she needs to send them to private school or home school them.

Kids hang out with kids like themselves, so I doubt they are listening or going near the kids with two dads. Even if they did, it's not a big deal. The big deal is books targeting kids in kindergarten that tell them that you can change your gender if you want or that you can be romantic with someone of the same gender. There shouldn't be any books about young kids having crushes being read to kids that young, regardless of the gender. It is really inappropriate.

This.

The issue is not acknowledging the mere existence of someone who is LGBTQ. It is shoving the ideology and lifestyles in the form of CURRICULUM that is causing the pushback.

No one cares if gay kids are in school. But pushing an ideology and theory that is incredibly politically divisive is not ok.

Which ideology and theory? The existence of people who are LGBTQ? If you find that incredibly politically divisive, that's on you.