Don't Let the Culture Raise Your Kids. Marcia Segelstein

sued the school for “allowing families to opt-out of classroom instruction on transgenderism, refusing to inform their son’s classmates of his ‘preferred’ gender pronouns, and not allowing a pro-transgender book to be part of the kindergarteners’ classroom instruction,”⁴⁴ according to a LifeSiteNews report. D.C. McAllister wrote about the case at The Federalist: “The child is a male who is confused about his gender. To play along with this psychological confusion instead of helping the child in a supportive and loving way to bring his thinking into alignment with reality is a form of child neglect, something no school should support.”⁴⁵

      The parents of a six-year-old transgender girl successfully sued for discrimination when Eagleside Elementary school in Colorado wouldn’t allow him/her to use the girls bathroom. It wasn’t enough that they gave the child permission to use the restrooms in the teachers’ lounge and the nurse’s office. Similarly, the Nebraska School Activities Association now recognizes gender identity, rather than biological sex, as its standard for student athletes. The state’s Catholic bishops expressed disappointment in the decision and said they would continue to urge that the policy be rescinded. This joint statement by the bishops is worth noting:

      Any person who experiences gender dysphoria is entitled to the respect that is the right of every human person, as well as genuine concern and the support needed for personal development and well-being. Such support, however, must be provided with due consideration to fairness; the safety, privacy, and rights of all students; and the truth about the human person.⁴⁶

      At Rocklin Academy charter schools near Sacramento, over forty families pulled their children out of the school as the board continued to defend a transgender lesson presented in kindergarten that included reading the book, I Am Jazz, by transgender activist Jazz Jennings.⁴⁷ Several parents said their five-year-olds were traumatized, and that they weren’t notified beforehand. In Swampscott, Massachusetts, an elementary school principal announced that he was a woman and would now dress as a female. The Superintendent of Schools there has praised his “courage, honesty and transparency.”⁴⁸ Teachers in the state of Maine are now forbidden to inform parents if their children identify as transgender while in school.⁴⁹

      Situations such as these will only increase as transgender rights take center stage in the culture. It will become increasingly difficult for parents not only to avoid having their children exposed to the idea of gender fluidity, but to avoid having it taught to them as gospel. Here’s what Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City wrote in a column for the archdiocesan website on this issue:

      Gender ideology is the next tsunami that threatens to sweep away centuries of accepted human wisdom about the complementarity and real differences between men and women. These differences are not merely about self-expression and personal choice. Science, philosophy, theology and the accumulated wisdom of every culture have recognized that these differences are rooted in something real and objective. They are rooted in biology, and, more fundamentally, they are rooted in the design of the Creator.⁵⁰

      For parents who can afford it, many Catholic schools certainly offer a safer choice than public schools. But parents should still do their homework when choosing a school.

      For example, Mercy High School in San Francisco, a Catholic girls college preparatory school, made the decision to allow a teacher who’d been at the school for four years to remain on staff, even as she “transitioned” to becoming a transgender man. Parents were sent a letter of explanation by the Sisters explaining that “we strive to witness to mercy when we honor the dignity of each person in a welcoming culture that pursues integrity of word and deed.”⁵¹ According to Daniel Guernsey of Crisis Magazine, the Sisters of Mercy also offered counseling “to help the students of the all-girls school accept the biologically female teacher’s new gender identity as a man.”⁵²

      Although the Sisters maintain they are being merciful to the teacher, by accepting her rejection of her biological sex they are assenting to what Pope Francis has called a false “gender ideology.”⁵³ We could also question whether the decision is in the best interests of their students, which the sisters seem to at least tacitly acknowledge by their offer of counseling.

      Daniel Guernsey is Director of K-12 Programs at the Cardinal Newman Society and writes that “the Vatican has taught for decades that Catholic school teachers are expected to uphold the Catholic faith in both word and deed.” He quotes Canon Law, which states that “teachers are to be outstanding in correct doctrine and integrity of life” (Canon 802.2). Guernsey believes bishops and Catholic school leaders need to formalize policies and procedures for dealing with such situations.⁵⁴

      When speaking at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Britain, Cardinal Raymond Burke addressed the difficulties facing Christian parents when it comes to education: “Today, parents must be especially vigilant, for sadly, in some places, schools have become the tools of a secular agenda inimical to the Christian life.”⁵⁵

       Beyond Ideas

      Schools normalizing ideas that run contrary to Catholic teaching is bad enough. But what about passing out condoms and emergency contraception? Think that’s far-fetched? Here are some stories straight out of the headlines.

      By the mid-1990s over 400 high schools in the United States had begun to distribute condoms by request to students. In 2014, a school district in Oregon decided to offer condoms to students from sixth grade on up, with no parental consent required.⁵⁶ Sixth graders are generally between eleven and twelve years old!

      The Los Angeles Unified School District asked Planned Parenthood to run a health clinic at one of its high schools.⁵⁷ Students are allowed — by law — to visit the clinic without the permission of their parents. And the clinic is allowed to give students emergency contraception, birth control, pregnancy tests, and screening for sexually transmitted diseases. All the services are free and confidential. It’s disconcerting to think that parents might get a call if their child requested an aspirin for a headache, but would have no clue if a nurse put her on birth control because she is sexually active.

       Innocence Lost

      In Massachusetts, thousands of students are asked to take The Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey every other year. Officially intended for high school students, the organization Mass Resistance claims that it’s been administered as early as sixth grade in some cases.⁵⁸ Parents aren’t even allowed to see the survey, and there’s no “opt out” provision.⁵⁹ As you’ll see from the questions below taken from the 2015 survey, there are many ways to shatter innocence.