MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — The battle between religion and inclusion continued in Montgomery County Tuesday, with more than 500 people rallying outside the Board of Education to demand they allow them to opt their kids out of lessons that contradict with their religious beliefs.
The battle started over LGBTQ+ inclusive books.
Parents say back in March, they received an email from the Board stating they would no longer be able to have their children be exempt from that part of the curriculum. About 100 parents rallied outside of the Board in May to reinstate that exemption, and they did it Tuesday afternoon during the Board's meeting.
Muslim and Christian parents are leading this charge, with three families even filing federal lawsuits against the Board.
"You can teach what you want to teach, you can set your boundaries on what love is, but do not assume that everyone’s boundaries are the same," one of the protesting families said.
A crowd drawing protesters from both sides began gathering at 1:30 p.m. for a media briefing and then demonstrated outside of the Board's meeting, which was closed to the public.
"Increase in mental illness, increase in addiction, increase in suicide for kids – those are the results of exclusion," said John Zittrauer of the Rainbow Defense Coalition. "So someone’s feelings of being disturbed seems less important than protecting the lives of LGBTQ students."
While the issue was not on the agenda at the school board's closed door meeting, 20 people on both sides of the issue testified. The protestors returned to the campus after a brief rain storm and said they will continue to show up until a decision is made.
WUSA9 reached out to MCPS. A spokesperson responded with the following statement affirming the school system's decision:
Students and families may not choose to opt out of engaging with any instructional materials, other than “Family Life and Human Sexuality Unit of Instruction'' which is specifically permitted by Maryland law. As such, teachers will not send home letters to inform families when inclusive books are read in the future.
MCPS is committed to ensuring all students and their families see themselves in the curriculum to cultivate an inclusive and welcoming learning environment. These books are on the approved list of supplemental materials schools will have access to that align with our goal of providing more inclusive texts and resources in support of curriculum standards.
As part of MCPS' mission to equity, "instructional materials are chosen to reflect the diversity of our global community, the aspirations, issues and achievements of women, persons with disabilities, persons from diverse, racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, as well as persons of diverse gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation."
Additionally, two goals of the MCPS gender identity guidelines are to reduce stigmatization and foster social integration and cultural inclusiveness of all students and their families in our very diverse community. These policies involved extensive conversation and community input. These books are a way to actualize the policy and guidelines and have undergone a rigorous evaluation process. All the content within them is age and developmentally-appropriate.
Additional information about the book selection process:
All books that are evaluated as textbooks in MCPS go through the process as outlined in the regulation MCPS IIB-RA. Each book is evaluated by a textbook committee that consists of 5 professional staff members. The committee completes Form 365-25 for each book which is reviewed and approved by a content supervisor. The book and the completed forms are placed on the “30-day shelf” for parent/caregiver review. Titles are also available on the Evaluation and Selection website.
The process of selecting the LGBTQ+ books began with advocacy of the PRIDE ALLiance which consists of parents, community members, students, and staff. Several of the members recommended book lists that were used to identify the books that would be vetted.
It was important to the evaluation committee that the books are joyful stories of folks who happen to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community. The books celebrate and positively portray LGBTQ+ identities through an asset-based lens.
And on our official statement aligned with the guidance shift:
MCPS expects all classrooms to be inclusive and safe spaces for students, including those who identify as LGBTQ+ or have family members in the LGBTQ+ community. A broad representation of personal characteristics within curricular or instructional materials promotes this desired outcome. Therefore, as with all curriculum resources, there is an expectation that teachers utilize these inclusive lessons and texts with all students.
As is standard practice, when planning for instruction teachers/schools are encouraged to utilize a variety of resources to continue to promote an inclusive environment as outlined in the MCPS Core Values and Board Policy.
Binnish Mustafa has three children in the Montgomery County School District.
"If an animal rights activist wants to opt their child out of biology class, he or she should be able to do that," she told WUSA 9 at May's rally. "Same goes for Native Americans. If Native Americans don’t want to sit through a class talking about the great traits of Christopher Columbus, they should be able to opt out."
They say it’s about a parent’s right to choose what their kids are exposed to and at what age.
Wael Alkashari, the head of the Parents Action Committee, said he wants to make it clear that this isn't about being anti-LGBTQ+
"We are not anti this lifestyle," he said. "We respect them, they have the right to exist amongst us, to live as they please."
Other parents who support the inclusive curriculum say it can give kids a resource they may not feel they have at home.
It can encourage kids to talk more openly with their parents.
That’s what happened with middle schooler Evan, who identifies as transgender.
"When he first transitioned in elementary school, he felt like he was the only trans kid in his school and he was lonely," Evan's mom, Rachel Cornwell said. "So for us, having books and stories that represented the transgender experience was helpful to know there were other kids out there like Evan, who were thriving and living wonderful lives."