Please protect transgender kids, protect innocent lives, and protect education.

The policy includes a transphobic bathroom bill, imposes a gag on teachers even mentioning sexual orientation or gender identity, titles and pronouns will be based on a student’s original birth certificate, erases all discussion of discrimination from classrooms, and creates a restricted section in the library of books which deal with race and LGBTQ+ themes.

Anti-LGBTQ+, Especially Anti-Trans

CLA (Local) – Bathroom Policy[1]
This policy seeks to keep transgender, gender diverse, and gender nonconforming students out of the multiple-occupancy bathrooms respective to their gender identity.
The policy seeks to narrowly define biological sex according to the same language promoted and passed by anti-trans groups during the 2021 legislative session.
Under this policy, the district may make “reasonable accommodations upon request,” but there is no explanation of how this would work.
 

EMB (Local) – Gender Identity and Fluidity[2]
The first paragraph of this policy, the “Don’t Say Gay” provision, imposes a gag on elementary school teachers from even mentioning sexual orientation or gender identity, including their own.
The second paragraph is not limited just to elementary school but prohibits any teacher or staff member from addressing any subject relating to “Gender Fluidity”
One of the most extreme aspects of this policy is on titles and pronouns
This policy states that titles and pronouns will be based on a student’s original birth certificate.
Even where a parent or guardian requests to use a different title or pronouns in writing to the school, each teacher or staff member can choose which title and pronouns to use or adopt.

Overarching Talking Points on Book Bans and Anti-Inclusive Education Curriculum

GCISD’s policy attempts to prevent students from ever learning about the United States' history of racism or learning about present-day racial and other inequities. This is an effort to erase that history and will prevent students from learning from the past or gaining a critical perspective on history or exercising critical thinking about the present.
GCISD’s policy particularly attempts to erase the history of racism and continuing racial inequity from education in the district. All students must understand the ongoing impact of racism in the United States so that they are equipped as citizens to make decisions and act in light of that history. The history of racism and racial injustice in this country is fundamental to understanding the United States today.
GCISD’s policy repeatedly uses sweeping, vague language to bar learning about and discussing even “connected to” topics related to race, gender, and LGBTQ+ issues in an educational setting. While the policy has an exception for students’ private speech, it’s clear that students won’t be able to speak on these topics in the classroom because teachers moderating curriculum and classroom discussions are unable to do so. And it’s not clear how far these prohibitions go, because the language of the policy is so broad and vague. This will chill classroom discussion and violate students’ First Amendment rights.
The policy bars discussion of ideas “connected to” “critical race theory” and “systemic discrimination ideologies,” but neither of those terms is defined. This broad and vague bar will chill student speech.
The policy does not clearly define “Gender Fluidity.” It’s unclear precisely what speech is barred, and it could even extend to discussions that include trans or gender-nonconforming book characters or historical figures.

The policy’s bar on books and materials related to these topics is if anything even broader–anything that “adopts, supports or promotes” forbidden topics cannot be generally accessed by students. This will severely limit students’ access to information, in violation of the First Amendment.

Book Bans: Restrictions on Student Access to Ideas in Classrooms and Libraries

EFA (Local) - Instructional Resources, Instructional Materials
The vague definition of “prohibited materials” in this policy, combined with the broad bar against their “use, introduction, or provision to any students,” creates a strong chilling effect on the materials that teachers use in the classroom. It could dramatically limit the educational materials teachers feel comfortable using or providing in the classroom.
The policy bars the use of instructional materials “that adopt, support, or promote subject matter that has been prohibited by law or by the District, including any such instructional resources described in EMB(LOCAL).”
This policy also provides for regular review of instructional resources related to “human sexuality” and requirements that teachers affirmatively justify such content. This will likely have a chilling effect, leading to fewer teachers using resources they see as within this category in the classroom. Depending on how teachers interpret the policy, it may have a chilling effect on LGBTQIA+ content in classrooms.
The policy requires instructional materials to be selected to “represent[] many ethnic, religious, and cultural groups,” but notably omits race from consideration.

EFB (Local) - Instructional Resources, Library Materials
This policy authorizes and directs school librarians to police the content of the books students read and thus the ideas they encounter. That’s because it allows parents “to share any considerations regarding their students’ book selections.”
Both the library materials and the instructional materials policy erroneously imply that librarians risk violation of Texas’s criminal prohibition on distributing harmful materials to minors.
The opt-in rather than opt-out requirement for parental consent is burdensome and flips the longstanding ordinary assumption–that school library shelves are open to all students–on its head. It will unfairly prevent students from accessing books.
The policy has additional criteria for fiction, memoirs, and biographies, including graphic novels. These materials must be “integral or supplemental to the instructional program,” and memoirs and biographies must “present information with the greatest degree of accuracy and clarity.” These criteria are vague and stifling. They risk weeding out books of significant enrichment value to students.
This policy moves power over collection acquisition and review from librarians–trained professionals–to the community and school board.
The 10-year bar on the reintroduction of banned books is draconian. It does not account for the possibility of error, or shifting community norms.
FNAA (Local) - Student Expression, Distribution of Nonschool Literature
This policy will have a chilling effect on student speech by limiting student distribution of written or printed materials and photographs where the material “constitutes or promotes Prohibited Materials.” This vague description is not enough for students to know ahead of time what they can and can’t distribute.
GKDA (Local) - Nonschool Use of School Facilities, Distribution of Nonschool Literature

This policy will have a chilling effect on a speech by limiting the distribution of campus materials developed not from a school perspective, but for myself. This vague description is not enough to know whether the material you have is sufficient.

Please help us by signing the petition, our voices will be heard. Protect trans kids!