It’s outrageous enough that school after school now positions “LGBTQ” identities and behaviors as positive inborn traits akin to race. That deception is doing untold harm to vulnerable children.
But now clinical symptoms of child sexual abuse are being presented as normal in at least one school in Ohio.
A presentation made by two social workers on staff with the Dublin City School District described sexual fantasies and curiosity about sex as “normal development” in children 5 to 7 years old.
The April 30 presentation to parents and teachers, part of a “Be Well” event, was entitled “Why It Matters: Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth and Your Journey as a Caregiver.” One slide in the presentation described the development of children ages 5 to 7 as follows: “Curiosity about sex emerges; sexual fears and fantasies emerge; interested in aspects of sexual development; aware of self as a sexual being.” This was all positioned as “normal.”
The presentation was posted on the Dublin Schools’ website but shortly after community objections, was removed. One of the two presenters is still on staff with the district.
A professional who wishes to remain anonymous, but has worked with children in court and custodial cases, learned about this presentation and made these comments:
“Instructing teachers and parents that it is normal for children between the ages of 5 and 7 years to have ‘sexual fantasies’ or ‘sexual fears’ is professionally negligent. Specialists who are trained in recognizing the signs and symptoms of sexual abuse in children know that children who have been sexually abused often exhibit inappropriate sexual behaviors, such as talking about sexual topics or demonstrating knowledge of sexual acts. School districts should be teaching parents and educators how to recognize the signs of child sexual abuse so that they are better-equipped to identify and report problematic behaviors. This presentation appears to do the opposite, by encouraging adults to accept a child’s behavior as typical when that behavior is actually a sign that the child may have been sexually abused.”
The Dublin presentation also included slide after slide of “LGBTQ” activist talking points, inaccuracies and high risk resources. A glossary of sexual anarchy terms and identity flags were respectfully reviewed--- “transexual, asexual, pansexual,” etc. Pronoun distortion was presented as positive, as was gender confusion. Parents/teachers were urged to “support” gender-confused children who wish to proceed to medical or surgical mutilation, with no statements of caution.
There was a realistic review of the known high incidence of suicide and mental health disorders among youth who identify as “LGBTQ,” but causation was credited to bullying and discrimination, with no recognition of the role of bodily distortion, early sexualization, and possible child molestation.
These youth need “affirmation” and pro-LGBTQ “role models,” according to these social workers, with no mention of counseling to embrace truth and responsible sexual behavior. Audience members were then asked to pretend to be “LGBTQ” youth and walk through a successful “coming out” process.
In other words, the Dublin City School district wants to establish the norm of never questioning but always encouraging homosexual, bisexual, “queer”, pansexual, asexual, or transgender identities and behaviors.
There was no lower student age limit given for the recommended affirmation.
A comparison of “rejecting” vs. “supportive” parenting actions was presented. One of the “rejecting” actions was “religion-based condemnation.” Absent a more thorough explanation, it appears that basic Judeo - Christian doctrine about sexual morality would be viewed as “condemnation.”
So is religious discrimination now baked into official policy at Dublin Schools?
To top off this buffet of inappropriate advice, the audience was told that no one is to reveal a child’s sexual orientation/ gender identity without the student’s permission: “DON’T......Tell relatives, school staff, family friends, community, etc. unless your child says it’s okay. Your child should come out when (if at all), and to whom, they choose.”
And parents should never “dead name” their gender confused child. That means, parents, you must never call your child by the name you gave him or her at birth.
To close this jaw-dropping spectacle, the presenters offered a list of some of the most harmful resources available—PFLAG, Kaleidoscope Youth Center, TransOhio, Gender Spectrum and the Trevor Project.
One parent forwarded emails from the principal of Dublin Jerome High School, backed up by Superintendent John Marschhausen, that the district policies rely on this claim: “Gender expression and identity are legally protected under the equal protection and due process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the First Amendment right to free speech, and Title IX.”
This is not true. No federal law exists along these lines, and this statement is a gross misapplication of the Fourteenth Amendment. Some education associations, the federal Department of Education, local school district attorneys and the misguided teachers’ unions, fantasize that Title IX can be rearranged to make “gender expression” fit a newly imagined definition of “sex.” But Title IX has not been amended/changed by Congress and the changes proposed (even if declared in effect by the federal DOE) will still be illegitimate because they do not reflect a change in law by Congress. Latest indicators are that the Biden administration, seeing the overwhelming oppostion to its sexual/gender power grab proposal on Title IX, is now signalling that this will not happen until 2024 or later.
Court rulings have come down on both sides of this issue. And a court ruling in a specific case does not constitute new “law.” The Fourteenth Amendment doesn’t apply to confused sexual/gender behavior by minor children and local school policy as well as state law gives parents legal authority over the health and welfare of their children.
In pressing the district, the parent was not provided any citations backing up these claims but instead was told that to do so would violate “attorney-client privilege.”
Public schools can now keep the legal basis for their policies confidential?
This school district has been the focus of controversy in the recent past. Last year, one Dublin mom received the photo of a “gender affirming” clothes bucket in the teachers’ lounge at Dublin Jerome High School. This is a bin of clothes apparently used by students to change their clothes during the school day to conceal cross -dressing from their parents. When asked, administrators gave a stumbling and incoherent explanation.
What about bathroom privacy? One parent reported that Dublin has no board-approved policy on allowing males to enter female spaces, but teachers were verbally told during a “legal update” by the school district attorney that students may use the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity. Upon further inquiry, a parent was told that any girl who did not feel safe under such a practice was free to use the teachers’ lounge.
Dublin is certainly not alone in inventing law and legal precedent upon which to base in-school “LGBTQ” advocacy. Over 1,000 school districts enrolling nearly 11 million students are following illegitimate policies of hiding gender identity issues from parents, according to research done by Parents Defending Education.
The community of Dublin has much to boast about. It is a beautiful, affluent community, home to Muirfield, the Jack Nicklaus- founded Memorial Golf Tournament and so much more.
Why ruin the community and the futures of children with such high-risk, harmful actions?
