Washington parent pulls kid from school over a video about LGBTQ+ people simply existing

Parents in Washington state have pulled their children out of school after learning that a teacher showed students a video about Pride Month. It’s the latest indication that some opponents of LGBTQ+ topics in schools object not simply to sexual content, but to virtually any representation of queer people.

Martha Lake Elementary School parent Maria Varchetto told Washington radio station KVI-AM that her child came home distressed after watching a video about Pride Month.

“Parents have the right to know what was taught to their kids. Whether or not you agree with it or disagree is irrelevant,” she said. “You don’t get to teach and go rogue on subjects that are this controversial without providing parents a notice to opt out.”

The video in question: “Why is PRIDE in June?!?”

Related: For some parents of trans kids, leaving America no longer feels unthinkable

The video was first published in 2017 on the Queer Kid Stuff channel, where host Lindz Amer discusses the origins of the gay rights movement and the history of civil rights activism. In the age-appropriate video, Amer speaks with a stuffed bear and recounts that Pride Month dates back to 1969. An animated segment depicts Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera standing up for queer rights during the Stonewall uprising in New York City.

The video notably doesn’t call the famous protest a riot or delve into a debate about civil disobedience. It also never discusses sex. It does describe the nature of activism, including through education.

“Just watching and learning from Queer Kid Stuff makes you an activist too,” Amer says in the video.

But Varchetto said her 9-year-old returned home with what she considered an alarming takeaway: that the video said the child could identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, transgender, nonbinary or Two-Spirit.

“I need parents to be informed of this,” she told the radio station. “Parents have the right to know what was taught to their kids. Whether or not you agree with it or disagree is irrelevant. You don’t get to teach and go rogue on subjects that are this controversial without providing parents a notice to opt out.”

School officials, though, denied that the video was part of any districtwide curriculum. Instead, they said, it was included in a lesson assembled by an individual music teacher about the contributions of LGBTQ+ musicians. The channel also has videos featuring openly LGBTQ+ artists, including Lil Nas X and Billy Porter.

Related: Washington Governor Signs Bill Protecting Transgender Kids from Estranged Parents

“The purpose of the lesson was to teach music and music history through the lives and contributions of notable artists,” Edmonds School District Communications Director Curtis Campbell told the Lynnwood Times. “Discussions about an artist’s background or identity were included as relevant biographical context, similar to how students may learn about other aspects of historical figures’ lives that helped shape their experiences and contributions.”

While school officials are reviewing whether the materials shown to students violated district standards or were age-inappropriate, Washington law allows teachers discretion in selecting supplemental educational materials. State law also directs school districts to adopt inclusive instructional materials addressing the history of marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ communities. The Edmonds School District formally recognizes 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride Month each June.

Watch the 6-minute Why is PRIDE in June video below.

- YouTube www.youtube.com