Lawmakers in Indiana betrayed parents, Christians, and constituents this week by gutting parental consent requirements before children in government schools can be exposed to homosexuality, gender confusion, sex education, and other controversial matters related to “sexuality.” Parents will not be allowed to even see the materials being used to sexualize their children. The move sparked an outcry that continues to grow, though, so the battle is far from over.
The legislation in question, known as Senate Bill 65, originally would have required that government schools obtain permission from parents before exposing children to the LGBT agenda and “sexuality.” However, the Indiana House Education Committee amended the Senate bill this week, passing the gutted version 8 to 5. Among other schemes, the lawmakers removed the parental consent requirement, as well as the requirement that sexuality materials be made available to parents.
Now, under the new version, government schools in Indiana will be allowed to teach children as young as 5-years-old that they might have been born in the wrong body, that they can “choose” their gender, that genital mutilation and hormone treatment is a way to deal with being born in the “wrong body,” and much more. Not only will parents not be allowed to see the perversion being forced on their children, they will not even be required to give their consent before it happens.
Interestingly, the move to keep parents out of the loop came shortly after the United Nations “education” agency known as UNESCO released new “comprehensive sexuality standards” calling for sexualization of children and LGBT indoctrination starting at age five. The radical scheme promotes abortion, promiscuity, fornication, sodomy, homosexuality, gender confusion, and more.
Critics of such madness, including the American College of Pediatricians, have referred to the indoctrination of children to believe they can change their sex via genital mutilation and hormones as “institutionalized child abuse.” And yet, it is happening in government schools all across America. It has been happening in Indiana, too.
“My parents were not informed of this material before I took the class and were shocked to see it in my textbook,” explained Indiana high-school student Sarah Russell, who testified in favor of parental consent. “In my opinion, the purpose of this instruction was to teach students that you can change your sex and that’s normal. I don’t think that was right.”
Even the Speaker of the House was onboard with the measure. “I don’t have a problem with parental consent. I mean you have to get parental consent to go on a field trip,” Speaker Brian Bosma said about the measure. “But I do believe it’s important for parents to have notice that they have the statutory right to review materials.”
Numerous other organizations and prominent figures endorsed the effort to protect parental rights, as well. But unfortunately for parents, powerful far-left groups such as the ACLU and fringe LGBT advocates bullied the lawmakers into stripping the key provisions from the legislation before moving it out of committee.
Parents, not the government and its rabid LGBT allies, should be in the driver’s seat when it comes to introducing children to sexuality issues. But in Indiana, as in other states, that common sense idea has been rejected by lawmakers. There is still time to ensure that parental rights will be protected. But concerned citizens and taxpayers must speak out now.