The largest teachers’ unions in the U.S. are allegedly encouraging educators to push gender ideology on students, according to a new report.
The Wednesday report by the Defense of Freedom Institute claimed that the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) are “working to change American society by advancing its radical gender ideology in the classroom.”
The two teachers’ unions are the largest in America, representing around 4.7 million public school teachers, counselors, college faculty, and other educators, data provided by Zippia shows.
The DFI report accused the unions of targeting students by first training teachers how to “inject gender identity politics” into their classrooms.
Such training sessions were held last month at a Together Educating America’s Children (TEACH) Conference in Washington, D.C.
There, AFT educators were “coached” on how to implement these changes during sessions titled “Affirming LGBTQIA+ Identities in and out of the Classroom” and “The TGNCNB [transgender, gender nonconforming, nonbinary] Inclusive School and Classroom,” DFI reported.
In the first session, participants were encouraged to “reflect on personal prejudice, learn how to recognize and address inappropriate interactions, and gain actionable skills toward transforming school culture,” the AFT’s program guide said of the event.
It added: “We will model an identity-affirming space that centers on LGBTQIA+ voices and supports allies in the work of breaking barriers in both the classroom and the larger school community.”
The second session’s description read: “Cisnormativity can be limiting for TGNCNB (transgender, gender nonconforming, nonbinary) and cisgender folks alike. In this workshop, we will explore the social and emotional as well as the academic needs of TGNCNB students, staff and families; we will examine how to be proactive in creating safe and inclusive school communities for all.”
The sessions, they said, would leave educators with new ideas and resources to implement such changes in their schools.
Just prior to the event, the AFT adopted a resolution that “favors ‘age-appropriate and inclusive’ bathroom and locker room policies,” the DFI report said.
Similarly, the NEA released an “LGBTQ Toolkit” last month that pushed members to follow their “Pronoun Guide” when communicating with other union members.
The toolkit further encouraged school officials to help link students to “supportive spaces” on campus, “implement supportive policies and practices for LGBTQI+ youth,” and condemned the “discriminatory discipline” of LGBT-identifying students.
They also made mention of “book bans,” likely taking aim at Republican-led bans on pornographic content in schools.
This would fall in line with comments made by NEA leaders earlier this year, when they called Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act “extremist,” according to the DFI report. The law bars schools from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation in younger grade levels.
The NEA has also previously expressed support for “displays of inclusivity” in classrooms — specifically things like a Black Lives Matter poster or a “pride” flag.
“Educators often use decorations to set the tone for their classrooms, school buses, lunchrooms, and other workspaces. You can use your work environment to show support for students of all backgrounds,” the union said in April guidelines.
Should such items be prohibited, the NEA suggested educators challenge the school’s written policy. They pointed out that, in January, a small Oregon teachers union successfully sued a school board for banning political symbols in classrooms.
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