Since the federal government gained control of public schooling, they have been slowly but surely pushing parents out of many of the most fundamental decisions regarding their children. When children sit down at their desks, they no longer focus on reading, math, history, or science. They are instead bombarded with a political agenda that makes them confused about who they are and what it means to be male and female. It’s up to us to stop this nonsense.
Eagle Forum has joined the Title IX Network comprised of over 200 organizations to oppose this agenda and take action to protect our children. During their six-week Stop the Radical Gender Agenda campaign, we want to highlight one of the many ways that proponents of gender ideology attack: through weakening parental rights.
For fifty years, Title IX has provided an equal right for girls and women to obtain an education and compete on sports teams comprised of the same sex. However, the Biden administration has hijacked this policy. Last year, the Department of Education expanded the definition of ‘sex’ in Title IX to include gender identity. This expanded definition allows biological males into places and teams historically reserved for females. To make matters worse, the new rule allows school administrators, teachers, and coaches to keep these changes to themselves informing parents that their daughters will have to share locker rooms, bathrooms, and sports teams.
Thankfully, parents are NOT keeping quiet. They have made their voices heard at school board meetings and banded together to create a grassroots movement advocating for parental rights. Fourteen states have enacted the Parents’ Bill of Rights laws that allow parents to know what their children are learning and the status of their well-being. The wording of these bills differs from state to state. For instance, Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law includes a prohibition on instruction regarding sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms younger than fourth grade.
On the federal level, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Representative Julia Letlow (R-LA) introduced the Parents’ Bill of Rights Act (S. 3218/H.R. 6056) during the last Congress. While neither moved forward to a vote, we hope that both will be re-introduced this year and have a better chance of passage.
We can’t forget about schools within the military system as well. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced amendments last year to the National Defense Authorization Act to ensure military parents have access to their children’s education.
You don’t have to be a parent of young children to make a difference. Your tax dollars are funding these types of changes in our education system and paying the salaries of the masterminds behind this language. So, what can you do?
- EDUCATE yourself and others about what schools are teaching. Eagle Forum has extensive resources on this topic that you can find here.
- VOTE OUT politicians at every level who have an agenda to indoctrinate our children with gender ideology and VOTE IN those who have a plan to stop it. Check out Eagle Forum PAC during election cycles to see who we are endorsing.
- TEAM UP with like-minded parents to make a greater impact. You can find an Eagle Forum state chapter here.
- ADVOCATE for parental rights bills at both the state and federal levels. You can track the legislation in your state by visiting Heritage Foundation’s state legislation tracker.
- ATTEND school board meetings. As a parent or community member, your voice is important in the decisions that these schools are making. School board meetings will be posted on your state or local board of education website.
The children who are attending school today will be our future leaders. Phyllis Schlafly once said, “I believe the public schools are the greatest cultural influence in this country.” How will you use your voice to influence the destiny of our nation?
