Gender Fluidity: Schools To Teach There’s No Such Thing As ‘Boys And Girls,’ Columnist Warns

Gender fluidity is a relatively new concept that some school districts — particularly Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia — are considering adding to their curriculum, and it has one Fox News columnist irate.

Todd Starnes recently hit back at the school board, which has in the past blamed the family life curriculum changes on mandates from the U.S. Department of Education that would strip them of $42 million in federal funding if they failed to institute the changes.

Here’s an excerpt from Starnes’ May 15 column.

“I must confess that I’m a bit old school on sex education. I believe that God created male and female. My reading of the Bible does not indicate there were dozens of other options.

“However, I’m always open to learning new things — so I asked the school district to provide me with the textbooks and scientific data they will be using to instruct the children that there are dozens and dozens of possible genders.

“Here’s the reply I received from [school board spokesman John] Torre:

‘Lessons have not been developed for the proposed lesson objectives,’ he stated. ‘Because of the need to develop lessons, the proposed objectives would not be implemented until fall 2016.’

“In other words – they don’t have a clue.”

Come 2016, Fairfax County Public Schools will call for teaching seventh graders about the concept of being transgender. Sophomores would learn that sexuality “is a broader spectrum” and not as simple as male and female.

According to the district recommendations, “Students will be provided definitions for sexual orientation terms heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality; and the gender identity term transgender…. Emphasis will be placed on recognizing that everyone is experiencing changes and the role of respectful, inclusive language in promoting an environment free of bias and discrimination.”

For Starnes and a number of other conservative Christians quoted in the piece, gender fluidity is really just a way to indoctrinate kids and override parental belief systems passed from one generation to the next.

“The larger picture is this is really an attack on nature itself — the created order,” Starnes quotes Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council as saying.

“Human beings are created male and female. But the current transgender ideology goes way beyond that. They’re telling us you can be both genders, you can be no gender, you can be a gender that you make up for yourself. And we’re supposed to affirm all of it.”

Gender Spectrum is a group that works with educators to tackle topics like gender fluidity. According to their website, “we provide consultation, training and events designed to help families, educators, professionals, and organizations understand and address the concepts of Gender identity and expression. Our accessible, practical approach is based on research and experience, enabling our clients to gain a deeper understanding of gender all along the spectrum.”

The group says that it presents an overview of “how society currently defines gender and how these restrictive definitions can be detrimental to those who do not fit neatly into these categories. We then help you identify and remove the obstacles so all are free to be their authentic selves.”

What do you think about gender fluidity and the reaction of people like Starnes and the FRC. Do parents have a right to be angry at this new gender fluidity curriculum, or do they just need to accept it? Sound off in the comments section.

[Image via a katz / Shutterstock.com]