March 26, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC – House Resolution 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act, is getting some national attention. The Parents Bill of Rights Act, which passed in the House of Representatives on Friday, March 24, calls for putting all grade school and high school curriculum online for parents to see. Now why is this happening?
From what we can tell, the GOP legislation is an attempt to pre-empt the National Education Association from getting the DEI curriculum into grade schools and high schools across the country. DEI stands for Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Supporters of DEI maintain that this is a new educational way of protecting ethnic minorities and LBGTQ students from being bullied. Critics say, DEI is advancing a far left agenda, will likely recruit students into LBGTQ lifestyles, and is being kept secret.
Congressman Nick Langworthy (R, Buffalo) voted on Friday, for HR 5. “This week, the House Republican Majority passed our signature Parents Bill of Rights Act to ensure parents have insight and input into their children’s education. This bill requires public schools to disclose all curricula, reading lists, library literature, and budget costs, as well as requiring parental consent before changing a child’s gender status. Pretty straightforward and common sense, don’t you think? We have heard of far too many instances where parents’ rights were not considered by school administrators and bureaucrats. That ends with this bill that will guarantee parents a seat at the table in their child’s education and future. I was proud to co-sponsor and vote for this legislation that fulfills one of our key promises to the American people. Now, it’s time for the US. Senate and the President to step up and pass it into law.”
Though Washington Democrats do not mention Langworthy by name, they do object to House Resolution 5. From the Congressional Equality Caucus: It (HR5) includes two provisions that would require schools that take steps to respect a student’s gender identity to forcibly out those transgender youth to their parents, even if this would put the youth in harm’s way. It includes the “Parents Opt-in Protection Act,” which was introduced to limit the ability of students to fill out surveys that ask questions about sexual orientation or gender identity. This provision is intended to limit our country’s ability to collect data to understand the experiences of students, both LGBTQI+ and non-LGBTQI+, in schools. It includes a provision that would require schools, if asked, to share with parents their children’s answers to surveys, potentially outing students if the survey asks questions about being LGBTQI+. This would also incentivize students to lie on surveys in response to a range of questions if they are uncomfortable with their answers being disclosed, undermining the accuracy of all data these surveys collect. It includes two provisions with offensive language to describe transgender people, intended to both misinform parents about who trans kids are and spur parents to oppose trans-inclusive policies.
