Massachusetts’s new ‘health and physical education’ standards are loaded with sex and gender ideology

Massachusetts public schools will now teach radical gender ideology and explicit sexual content to students of all grade levels – even preschoolers.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) voted unanimously on Sept. 19 to approve new health and physical education standards.

The new standards claim to be “developmentally and age-appropriate” but are filled with mature topics, even for the youngest students:

PreK-2

“Use medically accurate names for body parts, including genitals when communicating about their body and physical health.” 

“Discuss stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, equality, and inequality and how these can affect relationships and situations.” 

“Discuss gender-role stereotypes and their potential impacts on people of all genders.” 

“Demonstrate awareness of, and ways to show respect for, different family structures (e.g., families with heterosexual parents, families with same-gender parents, single parent families, intergenerational families, adoptive families, foster families).” 

Grades 3-5 

“Describe the differences between assigned sex at birth and gender identity and explain how one’s outward appearance and behavior does not define one’s gender identity or sexual orientation.” 

“Describe ways that stereotypes, perceived stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, inequality and injustice can impact relationships, and demonstrate strategies to address these factors.” 

“Explain how gender identity and sexual orientation can vary in each individual.” 

“Explain the relationship between sexual intercourse and human reproduction, the range of ways pregnancy can occur, and valid and reliable resources for information or support related to these topics.” 

“Analyze issues of health inequities and injustices locally, national, and internationally.” 

Gov. Maura Healy and other Massachusetts officials lauded the new standards in a joint press release.  

“Massachusetts is leading the way by providing a health and physical education framework that is inclusive, medically accurate and age-appropriate to help them make decisions that are right for their health and wellbeing,” claimed Healy.  

But many citizens and parents weren’t so thrilled with the standards.  

“[D]uring the public comment period DESE received over 5,500 public comments. This total included 2,910 emails/mail that expressed opposition to the proposed learning standards,” said a press release from the Massachusetts Family Institute. “By approving these standards, DESE told concerned parents that they would NOT honor their right to direct their children’s moral formation in the area of sexuality and gender identity.” 

Katie Ferreira-Aubin, a local school committee member, also gave DESE a piece of her mind at a public meeting in June. 

“Why do we need to talk about children’s sexual preferences?” she asked. “Why are we talking to 7- to 10-year-olds about their sexual preferences? [These are] adult topics.” 

Nationwide, voters strongly oppose sexually explicit materials in schools, and parents from coast to coast are objecting to such teachings. 

Parents have rallied against age-inappropriate sex education in Illinois, Virginia, and North Carolina.