| Given my age, by now I suppose I should be | | | | home, or how does a teacher consult with |
| accustomed to change. I've seen a lot of it. | | | | parents whose child has declared they are a |
| Some good, some bad, some absolutely | | | | different sex without the parents' knowledge? |
| terrible, some fair and some unfair, both | | | | |
| stupid and intelligent. You name it, and I | | | | SB 777 was passed by the California |
| thought I'd seen it all. | | | | legislature and signed into law by the |
| | | | governor late last year. It eliminated |
| But, I never thought I would live to see the | | | | Education Code 212, which defined "sex" as |
| day when the crazies in the California | | | | "the biological condition or quality of being |
| legislature would actually think it's a good | | | | a male or female human being." This new law |
| idea to allow schoolchildren to decide which | | | | redefines the term "gender" for all |
| sex they want to be. Not their sexual | | | | schoolchildren by adding Education Code |
| preference, mind you, but whether they are | | | | 210.7, which reads: "'Gender' means sex, and |
| male or female, notwithstanding their | | | | includes a person's gender identity and |
| anatomical makeup. | | | | gender related appearance and behavior |
| | | | whether or not stereotypically associated |
| California's Senate Bill 777 mandates, "Kids | | | | with the person's assigned sex at |
| are going to be taught that they have the | | | | birth…In short, this redefinition of |
| right to completely ignore their physical | | | | gender states that you are what you choose to |
| anatomy and choose the status of being 'male' | | | | be regardless of your anatomical make-up. |
| or 'female.'" (NC Times Commentary, Just The | | | | (Emphasis added)…. SB 777 also uses |
| Facts, by Robert Tyler, general counsel for | | | | this redefinition of gender to forbid |
| Advocates for Faith and Freedom, nonprofit | | | | educators from discriminating against any |
| religious liberty and pro-family law firm, | | | | individual employee, student or other person |
| December 29, 2007). | | | | based upon that individual's unspoken claim |
| | | | of being male or female, regardless of his or |
| As Robert Tyler notes, "Ignore your common | | | | her actual sex." |
| sense, ignore your chromosomes and ignore | | | | |
| your anatomy. This is what your politicians | | | | Advocates of this legislation argue that |
| want to teach your kids in school. After all, | | | | "it's needed to protect gays and others with |
| California's kids have mastered reading, | | | | non-heterosexual orientations from being |
| writing and arithmetic, haven't they?" To | | | | harassed in schools. Opponents say it will |
| illustrate the potential consequences of the | | | | force teachers and school officials to |
| law, Mr. Tyler posed the question, "What will | | | | silence anyone who is morally opposed to |
| prevent the 250-pound linebacker from | | | | homosexuality and allow anyone to claim |
| deciding he wants to share to share the | | | | privileges based on self-defined sexual |
| locker room with the cheerleaders?" | | | | orientation." (Dan Walters, Sacramento Bee, |
| | | | December 3, 2007). |
| For those who may scoff at this example of | | | | |
| the law's potential impact, "The Los Angeles | | | | My sense is that this will stifle all free |
| Unified School District has already adopted | | | | expression about sexuality in the schools, |
| policies allowing boys to use girl's | | | | that it's another step along the path of |
| restrooms and locker rooms - and vice versa." | | | | Political Correctness to mass confusion and |
| The District's Reference Guide "even tells | | | | resentment. And, no doubt it will add to the |
| teachers they need to refer to students using | | | | income of the trial lawyers, who will game |
| the student's preferred pronoun. And of | | | | the system with litigation to create and/or |
| course, it prohibits the teachers from | | | | protect clients' rights, real or imagined. |
| disclosing a student's chosen gender to the | | | | |
| student's parents." (The Jawa Report, | | | | In October 2007, state Senator McClintock |
| California Schoolchildren to Decide Their Own | | | | wrote, "After all, if courts begin ruling |
| Sex, December 31, 2007). | | | | that exclusion is indeed a form of |
| | | | discriminatory bias - which is clearly the |
| And, the "Los Angeles Unified School District | | | | intent of this bill - there are no groups |
| has already implemented a policy that states | | | | more excluded or less tolerated in the public |
| a boy perceiving himself to be a girl may use | | | | schools today than evangelical Christians, |
| the girls' restroom and locker room. He may | | | | orthodox Jews and traditional Catholics." |
| also participate in girls' sports and other | | | | |
| female-only activities." (Testimony by | | | | The oft quoted observation, "the asylum is |
| legislative liaison Meredith Turney of | | | | being run by the inmates," seems to describe |
| Capitol Resource Institute, Newsmax.com, | | | | California's political system perfectly. If |
| January 11, 2008). | | | | this didn't have such serious potential |
| | | | consequences, it would be downright |
| How crazy is this? Children can now declare | | | | laughable. |
| which sex they are without telling their | | | | |
| parents. How, I wonder, does that work at | | | | © 2008 Harris R. |