Parents have a right to opt out of LGBTQ+ lessons, SCOTUS rules

Parents can opt out their children out of LGBTQ+ lessons that violate their religious beliefs, the Supreme Court ruled today, reports Adam Liptak in the New York Times. “We have long recognized the rights of parents to direct ‘the religious upbringing of their children,’” wrote Justice Samuel Alito for the 6-3 majority in Mahmoud v. Taylor. “And we have held that those rights are violated by government policies that substantially interfere with the religious development of children.”

Parents of different faiths -- Muslim, Ethiopian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, Catholic and others -- had argued that books taught in Montgomery County, Maryland elementary schools “promote one-sided transgender ideology, encourage gender transitioning and focus excessively on romantic infatuation.”

Parents didn't ask to remove the books from school libraries or classrooms, but did want their children excused from discussions.

When the new gay and transgender-themed storybooks were introduced in 2022, parents were given advance notice of controversial lessons and allowed to opt out. Many parents decided they didn't want their children learning about bondage gear at a Pride parade, a girl who is really a boy, a same-sex crush in elementary school or same-sex weddings. A year later, the district told parents lessons were mandatory. Too many parents were opting out. It was disruptive.

In a brief, the district claimed the curriculum included “a handful of storybooks featuring lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer characters for use in the language-arts curriculum, alongside the many books already in the curriculum that feature heterosexual characters in traditional gender roles.”

The Court disagreed. The books "are designed to present certain values and beliefs as things to be celebrated, and certain contrary values and beliefs as things to be rejected," Alito wrote.

Many Americans, like the parents in this case, believe that biological sex reflects divine creation, that sex and gender are inseparable, and that children should be encouraged to accept their sex and to live accordingly. The storybooks, however, suggest that it is hurtful, and perhaps even hateful, to hold the view that gender is inextricably bound with biological sex.

An email sent by Montgomery County principals said the books were selected by asking questions such as: “Is heteronormativity reinforced or disrupted?”; “Is cisnormativity reinforced or disrupted?”; and “Are power hierarchies that uphold the dominant culture reinforced or disrupted?”

A guidance document used to train teachers provided suggested answers to student questions, the opinion notes. "If a student claims that a character 'can’t be a boy if he was born a girl,' teachers were encouraged to respond: 'That comment is hurtful'.” The suggested explanation for "what's transgender" is: “When we’re born, people make a guess about our gender and label us ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ based on our body parts. Sometimes they’re right and sometimes they’re wrong.”

Many Americans -- I think most parents of young children -- want public schools to teach the values of the dominant culture, especially when it comes to "cisnormativity." They don't want their values "disrupted" in school.