Ask what is the goal of the people trying to remove diversity, it is to return to a horrible time in the past where some people had all the rights and authority while others are powerless having no rights. Do we really as a country want to regress to the point these people want? They basically want all social and scientific / medical / social progress to stop and regress to a time before other people but them had standing in society and the most you could do for medical issues was to pray, same with economic issues just pray them away. But one thing they don’t want to return to is the taxes on the wealthy and corporations, just the regression of equality and equal rights for non-white non-cis non-straight people. We have congress people trying to deny diversity ion the military and fighting to keep bases named after confederate leaders who fought to keep blacks as slaves. Remember a large portion of the military is minority including black. We have republicans led states trying to teach kids that slavery was beneficial to black people. An example of how horrible racism is. Might as well say that childhood sexual abuse is OK as long as the kid is not killed and allowed to go to school. Anyway this is our country now, pushed hard to a right wing authoritarian racist bigoted intolerant society by a few very wealthy hateful people funding a lot of media and republican politicians. Hugs
More than 300 Turpin High School students participated in a walkout on Wednesday to protest the cancelation of Diversity Day earlier this month.
Students gathered at Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church, located right next to the high school, holding signs calling for promotion of diversity within the Forest Hills School District and to empower students.
Cory Sharber
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WVXU
The walkout occurred at Heritage Universalist Unitarian Church on May 18, 2022 adjacent to Turpin High School. Students held signs and chanted, “Do better Forest Hills.”
The walkouts occurred on the scheduled date for Diversity Day, May 18.
For several years, Diversity Day has been held in the district — which is 90% white — to highlight cultural and racial issues for junior and senior students. But earlier this month, the FHSD school board voted 4-0 to put the event on hold, stating that the event would no longer happen during school hours, use school resources or be paid for by taxpayers. Then, the school district announced its cancelation.
“At this time, FHSD staff have determined they will not be able to organize an event that meets the newly instituted board expectations before the end of the school year, so it will not be rescheduled for this year,” Forest Hill School District Communications Coordinator Josh Bazan said in a statement.
Board member Leslie Rasmussen abstained from voting on the issue, saying board members “interfered” with the event citing “critical race theory and social justice” as their reasons for its postponement.
Four of the board’s newly elected members ran together on a platform opposing critical race theory.
Students react
On the day Diversity Day was supposed to be held, multiple students passed a megaphone to each other to give speeches and to lead chants. Claire Mengel is a senior at Turpin High School. They thanked the community for the support it’s provided students, but expressed disappointment the walkout had to take place because the “(school) board has failed us.”
Cory Sharber
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WVXU
Turpin High School senior Claire Mengel led the walkout on May 18, 2022. They will be will be addressing the U.S. Congressional Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties on Thursday to discuss “ongoing efforts to prohibit discussion in K-12 classrooms about American history, race, and LGBTQ+ issues.”
“We should not be here because the board should be doing their jobs and the fact that we’re here is incredible, but it is also disappointing because we should be in school doing what we’re supposed to do as kids,” Mengel said.
Johnny Wettengel is also a student at Turpin High School. He thanked the students for making their voices heard and to show the school board that they’re “doing a bad job” at representing students.
Cory Sharber
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WVXU
Turpin High School student Johnny Wettengel said the Forest Hills school board is “doing a bad job” at representing the students during a walkout on May 18, 2022.
“We are here, all of us, to show them that we support diversity in our school district,” Wettengel said. “We are here to show them that we won’t just sit down and let them cancel events that matter to us. We are here to show them that diversity isn’t political, it’s human.”
Mengel said the event’s cancelation adds another level of stress to a district dealing with a “mental health crisis,” but the community’s support has helped during a tough time for students.
“Even though the board has power in this situation, the community is standing together and there is so much more support than I’ve seen anything negative about this,” Mengel said.
On Thursday, Mengel will be addressing the U.S. Congressional Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The hearing will focus on “the ongoing efforts to prohibit discussion in K-12 classrooms about American history, race, and LGBTQ+ issues, and to punish teachers who violate vague and discriminatory state laws by discussing these topics.”
It is great to see sane people in blue states standing up for equality for people in the US. Republican led states ignore medical science, instead they prefer to trust tradition and religion as the basis of their laws. If the rest of the country did this we would still have slavery and be using prayer for medical treatments. Instead of banning progress in understanding they should welcome new advancements. But every day shows they are further out of touch, their religious views wrong, and their desire to return to a past where they were comfortable, in charge, and understood the world / society they lived in. LGBTQIA people exist including also kids. Yes young kids know and have sexual feelings and gender identity. Cis straight people want to deny that yet they can never point to the time they choose either. Hugs
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the measures a day after issuing a controversial veto that was criticized by LGBTQ advocates.
Gavin Newsom during the San Francisco Pride parade in 2017.AFP via Getty Images file
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several bills Saturday aimed at bolstering the state’s protections for LGBTQ people, a day after issuing a controversial veto that was criticized by advocates.
The new laws include legislation that focuses on support for LGBTQ youth. One law sets timelines for required cultural competency training for public school teachers and staff, while another creates an advisory task force to determine the needs of LGBTQ students and help advance supportive initiatives. A third requires families to show that they can and are willing to meet the needs of a child in foster care regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“California is proud to have some of the most robust laws in the nation when it comes to protecting and supporting our LGBTQ+ community, and we’re committed to the ongoing work to create safer, more inclusive spaces for all Californians,” Newsom said in a statement. “These measures will help protect vulnerable youth, promote acceptance, and create more supportive environments in our schools and communities.”
The governor also signed legislation that requires schools serving first through 12th grade to have at least one gender-neutral bathroom available for students by 2026.
The law was spurred by a Southern California school district that instituted a policy requiring schools to tell parents when their children change their pronouns or use a bathroom of a gender other than the one listed on their official paperwork. A judge halted the policy after California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Chino Valley Unified School District. The lawsuit is ongoing.
The governor’s bill-signings came after Newsom vetoed a bill on Friday that would have required judges to consider whether a parent affirms their child’s gender identity when making custody and visitation decisions.
Assemblymember Lori Wilson, a Democrat who introduced the bill and has an adult son who came out as transgender when he was a teenager, was among the LGBTQ advocates who criticized the governor’s decision.
“I’ve been disheartened over the last few years as I watched the rising hate and heard the vitriol toward the trans community. My intent with this bill was to give them a voice, particularly in the family court system where a non-affirming parent could have a detrimental impact on the mental health and well-being of a child,” Wilson said in a statement.
Newsom said existing laws already require courts to consider health, safety and welfare when determining the best interests of a child in custody cases, including the parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity.
The veto comes amid intense political battles across the country over transgender rights, including efforts to impose bans on gender-affirming care, bar trans athletes from girls and women’s sports, and require schools to notify parents if their children ask to use different pronouns or changes their gender identity.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signs three new bills into law to strengthen the state’s protections for LGBTQ people. Newsom: “California is proud to have some of the most robust laws in the nation when it comes to protecting and supporting our LGBTQ community, and we’re… pic.twitter.com/TLuJM7tMdB
We can’t wait for our Florida house to sell so we can move California. What a wonderful change it will be. I expect we will actually need some time to de-stress and de-traumatize from trying to live here.
I left Florida and moved to Massachusetts. The first time walking around near Harvard and MIT and hearing someone performing Shakespeare on the street and having two people in a cafe almost come to blows over a mathematical theorem instead of over drugs, the first time passing an open field and seeing someone with an easel painting the landscape instead of circling on a quad tearing it up…
It’s a whole different world when you escape to someplace more blue.
Last year I left SW FL for SW GA. Stable blue congressional district and 2 Dem Senators. I grew up in the South so no adaptation problems. I am glad I got out of the toxic swamp FL has become.
Assuming we have a country in another 5 years, that is when he will make a run. Pete will also make a run as well and he will have the federal seasoning he lacked that last time. We have some young and very good people coming up over the next few years. Katie Porter is another one they are scared shitless of. Eric Swalwell, Ted Lieu, and AOC are all very capable and message well. There are of course a slew of others from across the country but all of the above are young and well regarded in general and absolutely hated by the right (that is a good thing).
An Ohio high school football coach resigned Monday following his team’s use of racist and antisemitic language during a game last Friday, the school announced https://t.co/9eSA1VyJhA
Boy, it sure would be embarrassing if someone quoted the Florida curriculum standard, which explicitly states that “Instruction includes how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” ( https://www.fldoe.org/core/… )
Or, at least it would be to anyone with a conscience.
Now do you see the point? This attack on woke is just the same old attack on LGBTQIA people. This is the same right wing attack on people who are different. It is the same right wing attack on gays, lesbians, and trans people that was happening in the1960s and 1970s. It is about removing us, people like me, the entire LGBTQIA from society. Basically a genocide. There are LGBTQIA kids in schools and that go to libraries. These kids need to see people like them, need the information in those books. Plus kids own books that have gay characters are not permitted even for scielent reading by themselves. Removing the books won’t stop kids being born LGBTQIA, it will just increase the targeting and harassment, the bullying along with increasing the isolation / shame these kids will feel about themselves for being different. It is cruel. Especially as science has proven beyond a doubt people are born with their sexual orientations and gender identity already set. DeathSantis said it was a hoax, that no books were being banned only pornographic ones, this order to remove the books specifically says remove them even if there is no sexual content.
The guidance made clear that all books with LGBTQ characters are to be removed even if the book contained no sexually explicit content. The librarians asked if they could retain books in school and classroom libraries with LGBTQ characters “as long as they do not have explicit sex scenes or sexual descriptions and are not approaching ‘how to’ manuals for how to be an LGBTQ+ person.” Vianello responded, “No. Books with LBGTQ+ characters are not to be included in classroom libraries or school library media centers.”
DeathSantis claimed that his anti-woke doesn’t equal don’t say gay. But that is the way the law is written and the goal of the fundamentalist Christian nationalists people that he is a member of and leads. Hugs
Librarians in public schools in Charlotte County, Florida, were instructed by the school district superintendent to remove all books with LGBTQ characters or themes from school and classroom libraries.
Charlotte County school librarians sought guidance from the school district about how to apply an expansion of the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, better known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, to all grades. “Are we removing books from any school or media center, Prek-12 if a character has, for example, two mothers or because there is a gay best friend or a main character is gay?” the librarians asked. Charlotte County Superintendent Mark Vianello answered, “Yes.”
The guidance by Vianello and the school board’s attorney, Michael McKinley, was obtained by the Florida Freedom to Read Project (FFTRP) through a public records request and shared with Popular Information. FFTRP requested “electronic records of district and school decisions regarding classroom and library materials.” In response, FFTRP received a document memorializing a July 24 conversation between Vianello and district librarians, known in Florida as media specialists.
The guidance made clear that all books with LGBTQ characters are to be removed even if the book contained no sexually explicit content. The librarians asked if they could retain books in school and classroom libraries with LGBTQ characters “as long as they do not have explicit sex scenes or sexual descriptions and are not approaching ‘how to’ manuals for how to be an LGBTQ+ person.” Vianello responded, “No. Books with LBGTQ+ characters are not to be included in classroom libraries or school library media centers.”
Vianello also says teachers must ensure that books with LGBTQ characters and themes do not enter the classroom, even if they are self-selected by students for silent reading. According to Vianello, books with “[t]hese characters and themes cannot exist.”
The librarians were seeking guidance on how to interpret a revised version of The Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida. The revised rules, issued by the Florida Department of Education earlier this year, expanded the restrictions imposed by the”Don’t Say Gay” law. According to revised Rule 6A-10.081, educators in Florida “[s]hall not intentionally provide classroom instruction to students in prekindergarten through grade 8 on sexual orientation or gender identity.” (A similar provision was included in a law Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed in May.) The revised rule also extends that prohibition through grade 12, except where explicitly required by state standards or as part of “a reproductive health course or health lesson for which a student’s parent has the option to have his or her student not attend.”
Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has insisted that allegations that his policies, including the “Don’t Say Gay” law, are being used to ban a wide range of books is a “hoax.” DeSantis claimed that the only books being removed from Florida libraries are “pornographic and inappropriate materials that have been snuck into our classrooms and libraries to sexualize our students violate our state education standards.” But in Charlotte County, DeSantis’ policies are being used to justify purging all books with LGBTQ characters, even if there is no sexual content.
In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for Charlotte County Schools told Popular Information that books with LGBTQ characters were removed from libraries because “there are elementary schools that utilize their school library media center as classrooms… [for] elective courses that our students are officially scheduled into and attend on a regular basis.” Therefore, the library “is considered a classroom setting.” As a result, “our school board attorney advises that we do not make books with these themes available in media centers that serve as classrooms since this would be considered ‘classroom instruction’ and such instruction and/or availability of these themes may not occur in PreK- grade 8.” The spokesperson acknowledged that “high school media centers are not designated as classrooms,” but books with LGBTQ characters were excluded anyway because “if a teacher were to bring a class of students to the media center and provide instruction, books with these themes cannot be included in that instructional time unless supported by the academic standards of that course of study.”
The problem with banning all books with LGBTQ characters
There are serious legal issues with banning all books with LGBTQ characters.
In June, the authors of the children’s book And Tango Makes Three, and several students sued the Lake County School Board, the Florida Department of Education, and other state officials for removing the book from K-3 library shelves. And Tango Makes Three is the true story of two male Penguins, Roy and Silo, who lived in the Central Park Zoo and raised an adopted chick. It has no sexual content. The lawsuit contends that the removal of And Tango Makes Three violates student rights under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and by “discriminating based on content and viewpoint, it infringes the authors’ right to freedom of expression.”
In response, the Lake County School Board filed an affidavit on July 13, 2023, from its superintendent, Diane Kornegay. She stated that, on June 21, 2023, she received guidance from the Florida Department of Education that the “age restriction on sexual orientation and gender identity does not apply to library books.” The guidance included a legal memorandum by the Florida Attorney General filed in a separate case challenging the “Don’t Say Gay” law, which contends that the law “does not even arguably restrict library books.”
As a result, And Tango Makes Three was returned to the shelves in Lake County.
The Florida Department of Education has been repeatedly asked to clarify the application of “Don’t Say Gay” and other laws and regulations restricting LGBTQ instruction to library books. But it has refused to do so, despite the urging of FFTRP and others.
“Every child deserves to have their lives reflected in the books available in their public school classroom or library,” Stephana Ferrell, co-founder of the FFTRP told Popular Information. “The Florida Department of Education was informed of Charlotte County’s overreaction to the law and state rule over two weeks ago, and has not acted to correct it. Public school families in Florida deserve better. We cannot tolerate this discriminatory exclusion.”
The result of the Department of Education’s inaction has been chaos. And Tango Makes Three remains banned in Escambia County and elsewhere. While Charlotte County is the only school district known to have a formal ban on all books with LGBTQ characters, other Florida school districts have the same policy in practice.
In the Broward County School District, the sixth-largest school district in the country, nearly half of the books that have been removed or restricted feature LGBTQ themes. One of the books banned from all school libraries is the children’s book A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, a fictional story about former Vice President Mike Pence’s family bunny. In the story, Marlon Bundo falls in love with another bunny named Wesley, and the two decide to get married. The book does not contain any sexual or explicit content whatsoever. The Broward County School District ordered that all school libraries remove Bundo, because it contained “gender identity content.”
The Broward County School District told Popular Information that it was aware of the state’s position in the Lake County lawsuit. But, as of last month, Bundo remained unavailable in Broward County schools.
A survey of Florida school districts by Popular Information revealed that at least 16 school districts in Florida have banned books with LGBTQ characters.
The start of the article doesn’t mention it, but this school is in Ohio. I followed a link in the article and this school also stopped celebrating diversity day and the students protested. Seems the right is again desperately trying to push a primarily white cis straight Christian society. And while they claim that others are not civil enough, these same people use threats, violence, and they mock and insult others. Notice how the anti-diversity anti-LGBTQIA maga republicans act when others are testifying. No respect whatsoever. Fundamentalist Christian racist bigot maga are the most self entitled people ever. Hugs.
Zack Carreon
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WVXU
Parents and students attend the Forest Hills school board meeting on Sept. 20, 2023.
The debate over whether discussions about race, inclusion, and LGBTQ+ issues belong in Forest Hills Schools was reignited after Superintendent Larry Hook made the decision to paint over a student-created mural at the start of the school year.
The mural depicted the hands of people of different races signaling love and solidarity surrounded by symbols of equality and acceptance of various sexual orientations.
Advocate FHSD
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Provided
The mural inside Nagel Middle School before it was covered and painted over.
Students at Nagel Middle School created the mural years ago, but when students returned to the building this year, some were surprised to see it covered by a banner promoting Forest Hills’s new “Culture Blueprint.” That banner was torn down. Shortly after, the mural was completely painted over, sparking outrage from some students and parents.
On the Forest Hills Schools’ website, the Culture Blueprint is described as a reminder to students to do their best and be mindful of others. But some say the superintendent’s actions send a different message.
Dozens showed up to Wednesday’s school board meeting holding signs of the mural. Parents and students spoke during public comment in opposition to the superintendent’s decision.
Forest Hills parent Jeff Nye addressed Hook directly, calling his response to the initial backlash childish.
“A 7th or 8th grade kid — 12- or 13-years-old — damaged that banner and that’s unacceptable and should be punished,” Nye said. “But before that happened, you had an opportunity to reflect and take action, value the feedback you received, to lead by example, to lead with humility, and say ‘I made a mistake, I shouldn’t have put it there,’ but you didn’t. You doubled down. You didn’t act like leader. You acted like a kid. You took your ball and you went home and I’m incredibly disappointed.”
High school student Norah Zellen also had strong words for Hook, saying that permanently covering the mural will have a more negative impact on students than district leaders thought.
“The mural exhibited a safe and inclusive learning environment, yet it was painted over. This action shows thoughtlessness, a lack of authenticity, and calls into question if the school board and superintendent want some students erased,” Zellen told Hook.
Hook was noticeably silent on the issue during the meeting. Each time the superintendent spoke about school matters, audience members held up signs of the mural.
During the meeting, board member Leslie Rasmussen called out the superintendent for his unwillingness to address the elephant in the room.
“Larry, you made a lot of wonderful comments about the awesome work our students are doing. I don’t want that to be overshadowed tonight or any time, but I want to take a moment to make sure you see all these students in the audience. They deserve acknowledgment,” Rasmussen said.
Hook responded, “I see them,” but made no further comments on the matter until questioned by reporters after the meeting.
Hook’s response
The superintendent defended the mural’s removal, saying despite the overwhelming opposition, most people in the Forest Hills community wanted to see it gone.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people who were very upset that it was there,” he said. “So, it’s kind of created this battle that shouldn’t even be in schools. We need to focus on our education. We need to focus on what’s important. That doesn’t mean we marginalize anybody.”
A small collection of adults also spoke during public comment defending Hook’s decision. One attendee, who took offense to parents and students supporting the mural, was removed by law enforcement after getting into a physical interaction with another audience member.
Read the full article. According to posts on social media today, the woman who snatched an audience member’s phone is the mother of Christianist school board member Katie Stewart, whose own children reportedly attend private Catholic school. At last night’s meeting Stewart wore a Gadsden flag t-shirt. The TikTok video below has gone viral.
At 11, hear from the woman who was attacked while filming a Forest Hills school board meeting. Parents and students were speaking out against the removal of a diversity mural. @Local12pic.twitter.com/cNKa0MrnKm
This is the mother of Katie Stewart, @FHSchools Board Member. She also laughed when a parent discussed her child’s suicide attempt and mocked students and other speakers. #classy#niceexamplehttps://t.co/HIaJa5xG1J
Students, parents and community members held a rally ahead of the Forest Hills School board meeting on Wednesday. Attendees say they’re upset about the decision by the Forest Hills School District to paint over a diversity mural. @FOX19pic.twitter.com/OH34kKGOiE
That woman’s DAUGHTER sits on the SCHOOL BOARD. Perhaps Katie STEWART should RETHINK her WARDROBE CHOICE in light of her MOM’S ANTICS. pic.twitter.com/HvYWYCabWG
She also laughed when a parent discussed her child’s suicide attempt and mocked students and other speakers
To me that’s even worse than the assault.
I wonder if it’s time to ressurect ACT UP! techniques? If this woman goes to church, perhaps go to the same church as disrupt the service: “WHAT DOES GOD THINK OF LAUGHING ABOUT SUICIDE ATTEMPTS?’
Shaming on Twitter is considered a badge of honor and they have no shame. But to so in churches or in grocery stores or at their hairdressers, that will perhaps do more?
I’m thinking of the beardy guy that is in DC and always behind (the latest) republican politician accused of wrongdoing.
Right? ACT UP wasn’t afraid to take on the churches. You do that when people are dying. We’ve already had a few killings (RIP, O’Shae Sibley). How many more will it take?
Very true. Back in the 80’s, we stormed Toronto’s St. Micheal’s Cathedral and dumped condoms on the altar because of the Church’s stance regarding their use, especially in preventing HIV/AIDS. We barricaded Conservative Pols Offices and, on more than one occasion, stood toe to toe with cops who wanted to fuck with us during marches…it didn’t end well for them. It was nothing for us to dump pink Jello by the bucket loads onto cop cars, Church steps, etc. We made a ruckus and did so until we were heard.
Long past time to teach society that lesson again. Direct Action Now.
We need to act up for sure and run for school board seats or get allies to run because imagine the lgbtq kids in that school seeing this how humiliating and hurtful. We need to stand up so they know to do the same when it’s their turn.
“Christianist school board member Katie Stewart, whose own children reportedly attend private Catholic school”
So it is none of her business what it happening at the school in question, but still finds herself in a position to dictate terms there. Just waiting for the cries of “I’m being silenced!”
Where i live its practically impossible to find the backstory on school board candidates unless you know somebody who knows somebody who knows them. School board seats are classified as non-partisan, so you cant even go by party affiliation. Their websites & mailers are useless – so generic as to convey no useful info.
In 2022, before he began a campaign for the presidency, Ron DeSantis was reelected governor of Florida in a landslide. This was impressive and surprising because the 2022 elections were disappointing for Republicans almost everywhere else in the US. But DeSantis’s overwhelming victory was doubly impressive and surprising because when he had first been elected, just four years earlier, it was by just a tiny margin.
For a long time, in fact, tiny election margins were the norm in Florida elections. Florida was a “swing state” — it sometimes voted for Democrats, sometimes for Republicans, and was a major prize up for grabs in presidential elections. But by 2022, something had changed: Florida Republicans up and down the ballot won their races by margins similar to DeSantis’s, and no one was calling Florida a swing state anymore.
Florida seems to have undergone a political transformation. So what happened? In this video, we look at three possible explanations.
Very informative how conservative and fundamentalist religious leaders have been attacking the public school system with disastrous results. She does talk rapidly but the CC is pretty good for YouTube. Hugs
Public education is under attack from all sides in this country, typically at the hands of a few wealthy and powerful conservatives who stand to benefit from the failure of public education at the expense of children and teachers.
Cory Sharber/WVXU
Cory Sharber/WVXU
Cory Sharber/WVXU
Scottie's Playtime 