Activists on Tuesday will hold a rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court as judges listen to verbal discussions in cases where the judiciary determines whether schools are violating parental religious freedom by not learning about LGBTQ-specific topics.
Mahmoudv. Taylor is an incident about a parent who wants to select a child from the county of Montgomery. LGBTQ– Lessons in public schools for religious reasons.
Montgomery County Public Schools changed their policy in March 2023 after initially allowing parents to choose their children.
Plaintiffs – Tamer Mahmoud, Enas Barakat and other parents argue that “the picture book was chosen to confuse ‘cis normity’ and ‘either or thought’ among students.”
“The board’s own principal objected that the curriculum was “not appropriate for the intended age group,” and presented gender ideology as “facts.”[ed]According to a petition on the Supreme Court website, “students who have opposed opinions and “deny religious beliefs.”
The petition goes further, saying that the parents “have not challenged the curriculum but argued that enforcing them to participate in education against their parents’ religious beliefs is a violation of the free movement clause. Wisconsin v. Yoder, 4th Circuit did not discover the burden of the free movement because they did not force them to enforce religious beliefs or change religious beliefs.”
The Inclusive Schools and Communities Coalition is an organization aimed at bringing together “advocates, educators, families, and organizations committed to inclusive, affirmative, factual, science-based education” and will be participating in the “Assembly for Inclusive Education” rally.
“Inclusive education is not just a value, it’s a need,” said Philip Alexander Downey, co-chair of the Inclusive Schools and Communities Coalition and CEO of the Montgomery County Pride Family. “The right to learn in an environment where every child thinks they are reflected, affirmed and respected is under attack, and this assembly is our moment of protecting that right.
The Inclusive Schools and Community Coalition says the assembly is “a nonpartisan community rooted in education, advocacy and solidarity.”
“The focus of this event is to raise the importance of an inclusive learning environment, celebrate the power of diversity in schools, and amplify the voices of those most affected by exclusive practices and rhetoric.”
The meeting will feature speakers from around the country, including students, educators, civil rights leaders and authors. They give their own testimony on why it is important to have inclusiveness in primary education. Trans Maryland, National Women’s Law Center, Mocopride Center, and the authors are one of the LGBTQ groups that authors sponsor the event against the book’s ban.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
