Denver students can earn ‘seal of diversity’ for taking queer lit, gender studies classes

(The Daily Signal) – A Denver high school allows students to take classes such as Queer Literature and Gender Studies to earn a “Seal of Diversity” award.

Students can submit a short, five-minute application to be part of the program, then take “diversity, equity, and inclusion”-related classes and engage with a DEI-related club or organization on campus to receive the award, according to documents obtained by The Daily Signal through a Colorado Open Records Act request.

“This award, to me, represents who we are, and should all aspire to be at East [High School], and I’m so proud of how many of you live that every day,” social studies teacher Dylan Fehrman said to members of the program in a message on March 23, 2023.

The Colorado Parent Advocacy Network told The Daily Signal it’s calling for an investigation into the classes, lesson plans, books, articles, and other materials used in the Seal of Diversity program.

“Our children deserve an education that prepares them for the real world, not one that pushes political agendas,” said Lori Gimelshteyn, executive director of the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network. “The Seal of Diversity program undermines the essential academic foundation our children need and fosters division, rather than unity.”

A petition calling for an external investigation is available on the parents network’s website as of Tuesday evening.

In September 2022, nearly 500 East High School students were members of the Seal of Diversity program, with 150 more applying to join. East High has a total of 2,505 students.

Classes include Honors Queer Literature, an upper-level English course for juniors and seniors that explores “the historical, political, economic, and cultural context of the LGBTQ+ community.” Since it’s part of the Seal of Diversity program, students can “add to their digital portfolio to outline their awareness and engagement with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the LGBTQ+ community.”

“The course will seek to improve understanding of how this context influences the ‘queer experience’ through the use of various literary sources (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, mythology, and digital media),” the course description in the 2024-2025 catalog says.

Course materials include “Paris is Burning,” a movie about gay and transgender individuals who attend a ball for drag queens that is rated R for nudity and sex.

The class provides students with “guidance, structure, and an in-depth experience” to analyze LGBTQ issues.

“In the modern political climate, LGBTQ issues and concerns are paramount and present in the daily lives of the students,” the description says. “As more and more students are exploring their personal identities, it will be supportive and prudent of schools to allow for a safe space in the context of learning and education.”

The Queer Lit teacher, Gregg Velasquez, did not respond to The Daily Signal’s two requests for comment.

In summer of 2023, a teacher offered “Women and Social Action,” a five-week summer course for the Seal of Diversity program. The course “enables students to gain an understanding of the role of the systems of oppression in society and avenues available to them to create both individual and collective change through social action.”

“Each student becomes aware of their ability to enact change and the empowerment that process provides,” the course description says. “We will explore issues of diversity including, but not limited to, race, class, gender, age, and disability. The course emphasizes critical thinking skills and is informed by feminist pedagogy.”

Other East High classes that fulfill Seal of Diversity requirements include African American Literature Honors, Hispanic American Literature Honors, Women’s Literature, Gender Studies, Intro to Ethnic Studies Honors, History of Now, and Native American History.

Intro to Ethnic Studies covers the themes of “race and racism, power and privilege, oppression, and intersectionality,” according to the course description.

Fehrman instructed teachers to make connections in their Seal of Diversity classes to the program’s themes of “Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action.”

An emailed request to Fehrman for comment returned with an “Out of Office” message.

Neither the East High School nor the Denver Public Schools websites contain any information on the Seal of Diversity program. Scott Pribble, director of external communications for Denver Public Schools, said it is not on the website because it is “not an official group.”

“The group started with some students who were taking some optional history courses and wanted to have extended conversations outside of class,” Pribble told The Daily Signal in an email. “Students who complete all of the criteria receive a paper certificate. It does not appear on their transcript.”

Denver Public Schools are failing children by focusing on diversity instead of improving low reading and math scores, Gimelshteyn told The Daily Signal. Less than 40% of Denver students are proficient in reading and writing, and only 29% are proficient in math.

“Given these numbers, it’s disheartening to see that, instead of concentrating on a rigorous, non-political, educational framework, Denver schools are promoting divisive and ideologically driven curricula,” Gimelshteyn said.