The Parental Rights in Education bill his headed to the Senate floor after a debate that referenced the “GenderBread Person.”
The debate featured elected officials questioning the need for a provision which regulated discussions in the classroom. The bill prohibits “instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”
Senator Lauren Book stated the bill was a “solution in search of a problem.”
However, during the public testimony part of the meeting, a parent spoke to the committee and provided a real-world example of why she believes this provision of the bill is needed.
January Littlejohn, who is in a legal battle over the guidance provided in a LGBTQ guide used by the Leon County School district, referenced the LGBTQ guide currently providing direction to teachers and officials in Palm Beach County schools.
Ms. Littlejohn noted that the guide referred to the “GenderBread Person” which she noted is “curriculum designed for kids as young as 5 years old.”
The Florida Capital Star reviewed the Palm Beach County School district LGBTQ guide and found the reference to the GenderBread Person on page 27 of the 107 page document.
The “GenderBread Person” is a cartoonish character designed for young audiences and is described as “a wonderful way to start an important conversation.” The website – www.genderbread.org – provides information on how the character can be used to drive a discussion related to gender identity, anatomical sex, attraction, and gender expression.
What is not provided on the website or in the Palm Beach County School district LGBTQ guide is information about age appropriateness.
Republican Sen. Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala), who filed the Senate version of the bill, explained his rationale for the language limiting discussion on certain issues in specific grades in the committee meeting on Monday.
“What we’re finding is there are many more what I call ‘social engineering’ approaches, that are being done that I think go far beyond where families want to go, and that we need to pursue this in a pathway where we honor those parental rights,” Baxley said, adding that “lesson plans that they were doing an effort to direct the path of their thinking and their values, even some to encouraged not telling your parents what’s going on at school.”
Book challenged Baxley’s assertion reflecting on her time as a primary school teacher, arguing that she doesn’t remember “teaching LGBTQ propaganda from secret lesson plans.”
“It didn’t happen. It didn’t happen then and it doesn’t happen now. This is another ‘solution in search of a problem’-style bill that we’ve grown so used to,” Book said. “Florida educators are not indoctrinating young children with age-inappropriate or developmentally appropriate curriculum.
Book never responded to the “GenderBread Person” information provided during the public testimony.
The bill passed the Senate Appropriations Committee 12-8.
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Steve Stewart is a senior contributor at The Florida Capital Star.
Republished with permission.
God please keep our children safe from what the world is becoming .
Dear Lord,
Please make the crazy stop.
This is what our once great nation has been reduced to…sad to say…while most of the world is grappling with real problems we’re sitting around trying to figure out the best color dress for our son to wear to prom!
This bill does not seem to have to do with religion, or gay-hating. It has to do with the right of parents to be parents and to raise their own children.
The task of teachers is to non-politically teach the 3 Rs, science, social studies. Apparently this is a difficult task for them, as education school is insufficiently rigorous, so they replace it with the easier task of spouting off on politics and sex, per manuals provided by essentially political entities.
The epidemic of mental health problems in children has come soon after the epidemic of over-sexualizing children via the schools, “in the interest of the children.”
I used to look down on home-schooling parents but now I understand them, though I hope that better quality control of teaching will result in the need for less home-schooling.
At the end of the day it is not up to schools to expose kids to any of this. It is up to parents to determine what to expose their kids to. Arguably at the middle or high school level in a health class that touches on subjects of sexuality, it could be a topic that is discussed among all other topics, but not with a bent towards a position. It is just a fact that some people think this just like some people think other things. There should not be a position one way or the other. The fact that they do assert strongly a far left leaning position that is highly controversial is the problem. If a kid has a specific issue about it that is a social, emotional, medical, and/or mental health issue and the schools have no business in these areas on this topic and many others. They are not trained for it. It is not their area of expertise. What is supposed to be their area of expertise is the core subjects. Schools have been routinely distracted from core subject matter teaching because so much other non-core things have been heaped upon them to cover. If they are going to nevertheless cover it and I do not want my kid to be part of the lessons, then I should be given advance notice and an opportunity to opt out just like I was given when the fourth and fifth grade notices were given about the classes for boys and separately the girls about how their bodies are changing etc. The issue I have with public schools is that they don’t even ask. They just assume. The reasoning is that not every family is like mine and so while I may talk to my kid someone else may not. Because I might handle something rationally and not throw my kid out of the house for a revelation they make, someone else may not. I get it but that doesn’t fly with me. You don’t get to cut me out of the equation because you think your way is better. If a child is in danger of abuse, abandonment or neglect at home because of any reason at all including gender issues the school’s only job as a mandatory reporter under Florida law is to contact DCF by calling 1 800 96 Abuse and making a report. Conversely, if the kid presents as suicidal because of any situation you contact law enforcement under Florida law according to the Baker Act. Public schools instead conflate their lines of authority and they flagrantly waive that authority around. Parents are not push overs. If you refuse to listen and refuse to include us, then we will exercise our legal rights and seek a legislative answer. If you don’t want what you perceive as bad law, then stop making blanket policy decisions that you either blatantly shove down our throats without discussion or outright hide from us. Instead, start treating us with the respect we deserve rather than acting as if you know what is better for our kids than we do.
Lena -There is nothing illegal about being gay or trans. Gay marriage is the law of the land. What do you expect a teacher to say if classmate Johnny has two moms. “I’m sorry. I can’t talk about it. Ask your folks.”
Yes. That’s exactly what a teacher should say. These are children who still believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Teachers can’t even teach the basics so surely they don’t need to teach children in grade school about sexuality or CRT. I can see a day where liberals such as you will try to normalize pedophilia all for your LGBTQ agenda. You have already tried to normalize gender dysphoria rather than assist people. Now run on back to MSNBC where you feel safe and unchallenged.
Dear Lena, I hear you are frustrated and upset! I too have felt your frustration on issues. Please try not to lump all people in one group – there are many of us that are moderates but find that the left is too far left. I think many of us moderates find that much of the LBGTQ teaching in preschool, kindergarten and early elementary opens subjects that children are not ready to learn. As a parent or teacher have you ever had a child ask a question and you give a long answer and they really wanted a two word simple answer – the parent/teacher went way over board! Children at this age learn more from what we do than what we say – so if we treat each other with love and respect they will learn the same.
“What we’re finding is there are many more what I call ‘social engineering’ approaches, that are being done that I think go far beyond where families want to go…”
So, this is the GOP in a nutshell. You people seem to think that being LGBTQ is some kind of disease that “post-Christian” society has imposed upon children. It is most certainly not. Some kids are gay just as some kids are tall or short or blond or brunettes. What you ARE doing is making those kids feel bad about the way they were born.
There is nothing illegal about being gay or trans. Gay marriage is the law of the land. What do you expect a teacher to say if classmate Johnny has two moms. “I’m sorry. I can’t talk about it. Ask your folks.”
Incredible. But, that’s the GOP these days. They don’t care about our wildfires, preventing COVID, pollution that’s finishing off the manatees or global warming causing deadly hurricanes, or consuming the coastal cities, it’s gay people that are the problem.
Seriously. Nuts. As crazy and self-serving as the GOP has ever been.
I’ll be your child’s therapist when they stop speaking to you (commenter). We’ll refer to these comments as a reason to stop going home for the holidays or cut communication with family entirely. In fact, I’ll encourage they flee the state. The abuse here is inexcusable this century.
Lauren Book will stand in front of you and lie through her teeth without a hint of remorse or guilt. She may have never done it, but it is happening now, if it wasn’t it wouldn’t be an issue.
Wow,,,the mendacity is astonishing.
@Rusty — if what the brain wants is more important than science, then I’m a 7’1″ 18 year old that wants a scholarship offer from Coach Ham and a path to the NBA.
Seriously, declaring “wants” and “wishes” over science opens the door to “wanting” to have sex with that 11 year old being “normal”. I’ve long warned that normalization of pedophilia is where this is headed.
Did the creator of the Genderbread Person realize that, by linking gender identity to the brain, they are effectively admitting transgenderism is a mental disorder?
Is OK.
Losers want to lose, and the Devil always overplays his hand.
Christian taxpayers should not have to pay for these post-Christian values being shoved down students’ throats. We still have freedom of religion in this country.
Why does the traditional public school system get all the taxpayer funding? There are a growing number of alternatives to the traditional school system. These alternatives are entitled to their share of the taxpayers dollars.
This is beyond disgusting, and tantamount to Child Abuse/Endangerment. Enough of this pattycake nonsense, heads need to roll and indictments need to fly…
STOP LETTING DEGENRATES AND PEDOPHILES TARGET OUR CHILDREN
There is so much wrong with that graphic.
As Hope said so well, Please make it stop….
The only thing missing from the School Board’s stump speech is claiming they are “Devout Catholics”. (Like Biden says).
Please make it stop…
Stop making Kids grow up faster than they should.
Snidely tells you what the author is trying to tell you but is afraid to really tell you:
The article actually has more words if you do a word count on the gingerbread person and others than on Book. But the article ends with an obvious attempt of a stinger on Book although a somewhat what weak and lame attempt at a stinger.
I think what the author is lamely attempting to lead the public to think is this:
We all know Book was abused by the family housekeeper as a youngster. We all agree that was a tragedy. But does that give her a right or any credibility to lead and defend the out of control sexual indoctrination of our children in our leftist controlled public school system?