by Kamila Love
Do you know what gender identity is? Everyone should familiarize themselves with this new phrase, especially parents because children will soon be learning about this in schools.
On June 25, 2015, in Fairfax County, VA, the school board approved to add gender identity to Family Life Education curriculum in public schools.
Also in more recent news, a city school in Troy, OH, allowed a female student who identifies with being male, access to the boys restroom because denying the student access would be against the law according to Title IX. What is Title IX?
In case you don’t know, as I didn’t; Title IX is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity.
To further clarify, should you still be confused, gender identity is not to be confused with sexual orientation i.e. sexual preference or who you have sex with. Students will also learn about terms like heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality.
Gender identity according to trusty ole’ Wikipedia is – ‘One’s private sense of being a man or a woman, consisting primarily of acceptance of membership into a category of people: male or female.’
In the new curriculum individual identity will be broken down into four parts – biological gender, gender identity (includes transgender), gender role and sexual orientation.
This new addition to the curriculum will be taught to seventh graders and up. Fairfax County is the largest school district in Virginia and the 10th largest in the nation. Also the new addition will be moved from Family Life Curriculum into Health Curriculum meaning the parents will not be able to opt their children out of the new lessons which has many parents not too pleased.
In the Netherlands age appropriate sex education can start as early as 4 years old, Ontario Canada will start in kindergarten next year. Concepts of gender identity will also be introduced in grade 3, gradually introducing lessons throughout the grades.
But it’s not mandatory in Ontario and the parents have the right to withdraw their children from any part of the curriculum that they are uncomfortable with.
In February 2013, the Chicago Board of Education passed a new policy on sexual health education teaching age appropriate instructions and medically accurate lessons from kindergarten to grade 12 – a proposal President Barack Obama supported in 2003 when he served as state senator.
Things are rapidly changing in the world that we live in today and we all are effected by it. So it’s up to vigilant and conscientious individuals to keep abreast with these changes. It is most imperative that you also teach your children. After all they are YOUR children and OUR future.
Change is inevitable and can be good or bad based on one’s perspective.
Twa-la.
