(USNewsMag.com) – Oregon 10th graders are being taught about diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. According to the Daily Caller, in the fourth-largest school district in Oregon, Hillsboro School District, students are learning the definitions of words like “panromantic” and “demiromantic.”
The students are also taught about the diverse ways gender, “sex assigned at birth,” and gender expression can intersect.
One example involves “Joey,” who identifies as male, uses he/him pronouns, has male genitalia, and is not attracted to men, women, or any other gender. Another example is Cece,” who identifies as a female, uses she or her pronouns, is attracted to men both sexually and romantically, and has male genitalia.
According to a district spokesperson, counselors, teachers, and local community organizations developed the curriculum along with publishers.
Students learn pronouns such as “ze/zir” and “they/them” in addition to “she/her” and “he/him.” They are taught that gender identities can deviate from the assigned gender at birth, such as “metagender” and “gender fluid.”
Comprehensive sex education starts in kindergarten, where “All Families are Different” is taught along with the book, All Kinds of Families.
In first grade, one lesson is “Gender Roles, Gender Expectations,” where the book My Princess Boy is in the curriculum. In fifth grade, kids learn about HIV, and in sixth grade, there is a lesson on “Power in Relationships, Sexual Violence, and Personal Power.”
The lessons in the district continue up through 12th grade, when students learn about “Victim Blaming,” “Sexting,” and “Reproductive Justice.”
Across the nation, discussions are being held by parents, school boards, and lawmakers on how to approach gender identity and sexuality in schools.
In 2015, Oregon lawmakers passed “Erin’s Law,” mandating schools to provide sexual abuse prevention programs from kindergarten to high school. Parents expressed their concern about the explicit curriculum and how it could sexualize children through lessons on LGBTQ issues and gender identity. The lessons meet Oregon Department of Education standards.
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