ROCKVILLE, Md. — Religious opposition to Montgomery County Public Schools’ mandatory curriculum on sexuality and gender education ramped up again, with the Board of Education the target of protests Thursday morning.
Opponents say MCPS parents should be allowed to let their kids opt out of the lessons that include LGBTQ themes they object to.
MCPS revoked its opt-out policy in March which gives parents no choice on their children participating in sexuality and gender content in school.
Thursday's protest was largely led by Muslim parents, who dominated the public comments agenda at Thursday's Board of Education meeting.
“You say you want to protect the rights of trans children and their families while simultaneously you violate the rights of other children and their families, said mom Nadhira Rasheed, who added that religious children are now being bullied and labeled by their peers as bigots.
Rachel Hull, who said her child is non-binary, spoke on behalf of opponents of opt-out.
“Much of the opt-out arguments are couched as parental rights and religious freedom," Hull said. "But what it boils down to is that the LGBT+ community is being told that their very existence is abnormal. And that their identity should be a source of shame."
A court battle is underway.
Parents have sued MCPS pointing to a Maryland law that says school systems “shall establish policies...for student opt-out."
MCPS argued in its court filing that its policy allows administrators to deny opt-out requests if they become too burdensome.
"Individual schools could not accommodate the growing number of opt out requests without causing significant disruptions to the classroom environment and undermining MCPS’s educational mission," the MCPS' response to the lawsuit said.
In June, the county released a list of approved texts for children as young as pre-school.
“Diversifying texts in elementary school will help young people develop empathy for a diverse group of people," according to MCPS policy.