The parents are outraged.
A California school district is facing controversy after a teacher allegedly made students participate in an LGBT “coming out” role-playing exercise, which was inspired by a well-known activist group. Parents in the Vista Unified School District (VUSD), located in San Diego, claim that the district violated their rights by incorporating a gender ideology activity in a freshman class at Rancho Buena Vista High School (RBVHS). The exercise, called “Coming Out Stars,” was reportedly adapted from The Trevor Project, an LGBT advocacy organization.
In the exercise, students were asked to imagine themselves as gay or lesbian individuals beginning the process of “coming out.” Attorney Dean Broyles from the National Center for Law & Policy (NCLP) stated that some students objected for religious reasons and walked out of the class. In addition to the role-playing, the school was also found to have used the “Gender Unicorn” diagram, which promotes gender identity education, in other lessons. Broyles and NCLP argue that the district failed to inform parents about these lessons, violating the California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA), which mandates that schools notify parents in advance of sexual education content and allow them to opt their children out.
The NCLP claims that VUSD bypassed these requirements by embedding gender ideology into non-sex education courses, preventing parents from opting their children out. Broyles emphasized that parents have the right to be fully aware of what their children are being taught about human sexuality, especially when it contradicts their religious beliefs. In response, NCLP sent a demand letter to the district on January 23, objecting to the “Coming Out Stars” exercise, which they argue promotes a biased narrative about religious views and LGBT issues.
The letter also highlighted the case of a student’s father, who was not informed that his daughter would be required to role-play a lesbian “coming out” scenario. The father claimed he would have opted his daughter out had he been notified beforehand. NCLP is calling for the district to apologize to the affected students and parents and to implement changes to ensure compliance with California’s parental notification and opt-out laws. The district had not responded to requests for comment as of the article’s publication.
The Trevor Project, which has faced increasing support from major corporations in the past, has recently experienced a drop in corporate donations. In January, the group announced plans for restructuring and layoffs.
