The Hayward Unified School District (HUSD), which is in the Bay Area of California, has come under scrutiny for its promotion of gender theory and transgenderism among students. The district, which serves over 19,000 students from preschool to high school, has created elaborate lesson plans and resource lists to normalize these concepts among young children.
One of the documents provides a guide to “LGBTQ Inclusive Films,” including one for 5th-grade students and above. The film features a 12-year-old girl who is unsure about her gender identity and is put on medication to suppress hormonal changes. This film is part of HUSD’s efforts to showcase “the diversity of experiences of gender.”
HUSD also endorses a film titled “Straightlaced: How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up,” which criticizes traditional understandings of sex and promotes the blurring of gender roles.
In addition to films, the district has a “safe and inclusive” books program for elementary school students, featuring stories that include different family structures and explore gender identity. HUSD is committed to being “actively anti-racist” and directs resources to businesses owned by favored groups.
The district even provides guidelines for a “Pride Flag Ceremony,” complete with speakers, rainbow bracelets, and rainbow flags to celebrate pride month. They encourage staff members to wear t-shirts that read “protect trans kids.”
HUSD’s promotion of transgenderism and gender ideology extends to its educational materials. There are over 90 pro-LGBT resources available, including lesson plans and trans-positive picture books for kindergarten and up. One lesson plan focuses on “gender and identity,” emphasizing the importance of respecting individuals’ self-identified genders.
However, this isn’t the only controversial aspect of HUSD’s curriculum. The district allocated $40 million in 2021 for an ethnic studies curriculum and spent over $90,000 on a “Liberated Ethnic Studies Curriculum” that embraces Critical Race Theory.
The district also invested in organizations like “Woke Kindergarten” and Quetzal Education Services, both of which teach Critical Race Theory and aim to “disrupt whiteness.” Another organization, Race Work, received $43,000 from HUSD to train students in becoming Critical Race Theory activists.
This growing trend of promoting gender theory and Critical Race Theory in schools has raised concerns among parents and conservative commentators. Many argue that schools should focus on core subjects and allow parents to teach their children about these topics according to their values and beliefs.
The HUSD’s aggressive promotion of these ideologies may lead to increased polarization and controversy within the community. As debates over educational curricula continue across the country, it remains to be seen how parents, educators, and policymakers will address these issues.
