COLAGE released the following statement regarding the recent Executive Order “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling”:
On Wednesday, January 29, President Trump issued an Executive Order “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling” whose contents echo previous state bills like Florida and Ohio’s respective “Don’t Say Gay/Trans,” including the topics of race and ethnicity. This Executive Order seeks to silence our LGBTQ+ families, queerspawn, and youth of color similar to the state bills and will effectively erase the safe spaces we value in our education system on a national level, all under the guise of “parents’ rights.”
The Executive Order suggests that discussions and teachings about queer families and families of color push “anti-American ideologies” onto children and threatens to limit government funding to the schools who continue to teach and practice equity. It is a gross hypocrisy to frame inclusive education as “radical indoctrination” while imposing narratives that attempt to erase the experiences of marginalized communities. An “accurate” and “honest” view of American history cannot leave out the experiences of indigenous Americans, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community.
“As a Black COLAGEr, my heart breaks over this Executive Order,” said Michaela Santisi, former COLAGE Youth Action Board member. “If our early education lacks the real history of America, we are going to continue to see history repeat itself. Marginalized groups in this country aren’t going anywhere. It cannot be our job alone to educate our peers about our experiences and we deserve to bring our full selves to school and have our true history taught.”
COLAGE condemns the notion that our very existence is “anti-American.” No executive order can redefine our reality. The harm of this order has already begun to impact COLAGErs, our families, and our communities. COLAGErs and people of color have expressed their concerns about what this means for us and the importance of what school inclusive teachings have done for them. “We do not need to go back. When I was a child it was potentially dangerous to talk about my queer family. Living with this fear and censorship was harmful,” said Megan McKnight, QUIP member. “No child should be discouraged from talking openly about their family or made to feel like their family is less than. Students learn best when they are able to show up at school as their full selves.”
Read our report on the experiences of people with LGBTQ+ parents in schools from 2023, learn more about COLAGE and our work, and help support us as we continue to provide community and empowerment for people with LGBTQ+ parents/caregivers.
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