Ministers call for TX schools to reverse gender inclusion limits; GOP sees fundraising chances
Clergy members who support the LGBTQ community say the Grapevine-Colleyville school district’s policies limiting gender inclusion and how race and sexuality are addressed in classrooms are harmful and must be reversed.
But the Republican Party of Texas is calling for donations so that other districts can pass similar policies.
“Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is the ONLY school district in the state that has passed a policy relating to CRT, real pronouns, bathroom access, and removing porn from libraries,” reads an online ad asking for donations to the party. “There are approximately 1,000 school districts across Texas, and we are working to bring this conservative policy to each one.”
The Inclusive Faith Coalition wrote in an opinion piece that there is no room for the harmful policies in the classrooms.
“The adoption of these directives is dangerous and irresponsible,” the clergy members wrote. “Such policies unleash untold damage on children who will not be able to live as their authentic selves, nor believe that their schools will be safe spaces for them to learn, grow, and thrive.”
The Inclusive Faith Coalition is made up of clergy from synagogues and churches in Arlington, Mansfield, Fort Worth, Richland Hills and Hurst.
The reactions at opposite ends of the spectrum came after a split 4-3 vote early Tuesday morning to adopt the policies, which will prevent teachers from including material on gender, equity and other issues and limit what pronouns can be used in schools. Teaching or discussion about critical race theory or the 1619 Project is prohibited.
Trustee Becky St. John questioned why the community was not given ample opportunities to review the policies in workshop settings where they could be thoroughly discussed.
But board president Casey Ford said the policies mirror state laws and community values.
The Inclusive Faith Coalition says it will continue to fight against the policies.
“We cannot stand by and watch the needless suffering of any of God’s children,” the clergy members wrote. “We ask you to reconsider your decision to implement these destructive policies.”
What the new policies do
The policies that were adopted will allow for district employees to use a student’s preferred pronouns other than those for their sex at birth, if the employee wants to, with the written consent of the student’s parent. They will not allow district employees to require anybody to use pronouns other than those for their sex at birth, but students and employees can refer to them with other preferred pronouns if they want to.
The amendments prohibit district employees from teaching topics of sexual orientation or gender identity unless everybody in the class has completed the fifth grade.
The policies also prohibit requiring employees or students to receive instruction that promotes racial or sexual superiority or suggests or states that “an individual, by virtue of that individual’s race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously,” or that a person should face discrimination based on any demographic category into which they might fit.