Parents' rights groups are siding with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who blasted the White House after two transgender activists went topless at a gay pride event this week.
After the White House agreed that topless activists were "inappropriate and disrespectful" and would not be invited back to the White House, DeSantis asked why why anyone would want to have that kind of curriculum "jammed into a second-grader's classroom?"
That was a reference to the parental rights bill he signed into law in Florida that prohibits instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity before third grade or if done so in a manner that is not age-appropriate for students. Several parents' rights groups said DeSantis is spot on.
"I agree with Gov. DeSantis in his analogy to his parental rights bill," Sheri Few, president and founder of United States Parents Involved in Education, told Fox News Digital, "If it is inappropriate for adults, why then is it OK for children? The same can be said for the pornographic and vulgar books in government schools that are being objected to by parents across the country."
Few explained that there have been "several incidents" where parents have read sexually explicit books from their child’s school library out loud at school board meetings, only to have their mics turned off because the content is so offensive.
"These are the very materials made available to children in government schools," Few said. "In Gov. DeSantis’s parental rights bill that the liberal left dubbed the ‘Don’t Say Gay Law,’ he is criticized for the portion of the law that prohibits sexual orientation and gender identity instruction for children in grades K-3. We are talking about 6–9-year-olds! How outrageous is it that adults think this is OK for very young children but not for adults?"
Erika Sanzi, director of outreach at Parents Defending Education, wrote about the issue in the New York Post, and echoed Few’s assessment in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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"The bill in Florida was about instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3," Sanzi said. "Perhaps now that the Biden administration has shown itself to have limits, they'll stop smearing and lying about elected officials and parents who don't think trans activism and PRIDE events are appropriate in schools."
Parents’ Rights In Education Executive Director Suzanne Gallagher told Fox News Digital that "public display of nudity at the national capital, and elsewhere by extreme far left LGBTQAI+ activists is an extension of their larger agenda."
"It is the goal of the far left to change the culture, by removing all sexual moral stigma," Gallagher explained. "They are doing so by using public schools and mandating K-12 comprehensive – every child, every grade, every subject – sexuality education."
Across the country, many Pride events have been labeled as "family friendly," including an event in West Hollywood, California, earlier this month that included men depicting a graphic sex act.
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Few told Fox News Digital that, in her opinion, Pride events "will never be family friendly."
"I believe Pride celebrations, with their lascivious and drunken displays, are a true reflection of the mental health issues that accompany this often promiscuous lifestyle," Few said. "Attempting to make ‘LGBTQ Pride’ palatable for children is merely another way to indoctrinate children with the Leftist agenda."
The kind of behavior Few referenced being promoted as "good" should have "no place on the grounds of the White House," CEO of American Family Association Action Walker Wildmon told Fox News Digital.
"Our nation was built on a respect for biblical morality and decency with immoral behavior discouraged and even outlawed in many cases," Wildmon said. "It is sad that what was once deemed indecent behavior that brought about shame is now being flaunted by the president and other leaders in our government. Our nation must return to a biblical ethic of family where we promote that which is truly good and acceptable."
"The nationwide response we are receiving regarding this trend, promoting and demanding acceptance of all sexual behaviors at any age with anyone, is negative," Gallagher told Fox News Digital. "Most people want higher, not lower, moral standards for themselves and their kids."
"Parents and allies are tired of seeing and hearing it everywhere, every day," she added. "Students are done with it in their schools, too. Polls show the net effect is less, rather than more, respect for those demanding it."
