‘Usurpation of parental rights’: District’s ‘gender inclusion’ training costs taxpayers $1.5K

(The Daily Signal) – The South Pasadena Unified School District in California paid an organization that wants a “more inclusive world for gender-diverse children and teens” $1,500 for a three-hour workshop on so-called gender inclusion in 2022.

The workshop at the Southern California district included training on creating “Gender Support Plans” using Gender Spectrum’s form, which hides a child’s gender identity from his or her parents, according to documents obtained through a California Public Records Act request and shared with The Daily Signal.

The form asks whether the student’s guardians are aware of their child’s gender status, then says: “If not, what considerations must be accounted for in implementing this plan?” It asks how a teacher/staff member should respond if parents ask questions about the child’s gender identity.

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“If the student’s guardians are not aware and/or supportive of the student’s gender status, how will school-home communications be handled?” the form continues.

On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed legislation barring school districts from requiring that parents be informed of their child’s gender identity. California is the first state to adopt such a law. 

Assembly Bill 1955 overrules any school board policies that require transparency with parents about their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

“In light of Gov. Newsom’s signing of AB 1955, this training should be viewed as the continued usurpation of parental rights,” said Mark Trammell, executive director of the Center for American Liberty, the nonprofit legal group that conducted the records request.

The workshop featured a two-part session called “The Dimensions of Gender: An Evolving Discourse,” including a “presentation of key terminology and concepts related to gender” and “reflection on personal beliefs and experiences with gender.”

Participants participated in a “facilitated discussion about gender literacy,” including a time for personal reflections in breakout groups. The training “builds on understanding of basic concepts of gender and applies them to school settings.”

Gender Spectrum includes applications of the concepts covered to “counseling, social work, child welfare and institutional settings.” The workshop also reviews data on the connection to “family affirmation” and the well-being of transgender children. The latter is akin to the pervasive left-wing narrative that a child will commit suicide if the parents don’t affirm his or her desire to transition.

South Pasadena schools use handouts from Gender Spectrum’s “Gender Inclusive Toolkit,” according to documents acquired through the records request. The toolkit aims to help schools “set a tone that demonstrates your commitment to making sure every student’s gender is recognized and accepted.” 

According to the toolkit, Gender-inclusive schools ask, “How are we accounting for the unique gender of every student?”

According to Gender Spectrum, gender-inclusive schools like those in South Pasadena “interrupt binary notions of gender,” “question limited portrayals of gender,” and “acknowledge and account for gender diversity.”

The LGBTQ+ youth organization instructs teachers on how to indoctrinate kids about gender.

Recommendations include designing lesson plans on gender identity, inserting gender identity into curriculum, using literature with themes of “gender diversity,” assigning gender-related projects, and highlighting transgender people in history.

Trammell said parents in South Pasadena should proceed with caution in response to the district’s intention of hiding gender identity from parents.

“I hope that this revelation will encourage parents to pay even closer attention to who has influence over their kids—and their kids’ teachers—while at school,” Trammell said.

The school district did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment.