This blog originally appeared at Advocate.
An emerging Christian nationalist movement is actively advocating for the reintegration of religious traditions in schools, with a notable focus on Texas. This movement is concurrently promoting a series of anti-LGBTQ+ policies.
The NBC News podcast “Grapevine” delves into the penetration of far-right figures into school districts. These groups assert their mission is to eliminate what they perceive as “indoctrination” by “woke” educators and leaders.
Former President Donald Trump expressed his regret about the absence of religious teachings in schools at the Conservative Political Action Conference last year. Trump stated, “School prayer is banned, but drag shows are allowed to permeate the whole place.” He further emphasized the resonance of this message among his supporters during a speech in North Carolina, as reported by NBC.
At the heart of this evolving situation is Texas, with a particular focus on the suburban region of Grapevine. The report underscored how recently elected school board members, supported by far-right Christian backers, endorsed a plan that limits discussions of “gender fluidity” within classrooms and libraries. Similar situations are unfolding across the country, illustrating a coordinated endeavor to intertwine religious traditions with educational policies.
In a noteworthy incident from August 2022, a mother at a crowded school board meeting in Grapevine alleged that a teacher had encouraged her child to undergo gender transition, declaring, “I lost my son.” Nevertheless, further scrutiny by NBC reporters Mike Hixenbaugh and Antonia Hylton unveiled a multifaceted narrative.
The podcast’s description paints a picture of a transgender child seeking understanding, a mother deeply entrenched in her religious convictions, and an English teacher ensnared within this complex web of religious and social tensions. The podcast highlights the wider consequences of this narrative, portraying it as a component of a larger religious movement that is gaining influence over educational policies, driven by evangelical interpretations of biblical values, as reported by NBC.
In Oklahoma and Florida, state officials are actively pushing forward with education agendas centered around Christian principles. Oklahoma’s Republican education chief, Ryan Walters, has advocated for the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
Simultaneously, Florida’s Department of Education gave the green light to educational materials from the Christian conservative organization PragerU Kids for public school use. During this period, they also significantly restricted any reference to LGBTQ+ individuals within Florida’s comprehensive public education curriculum. Additionally, they undertook a controversial revision of the history of slavery, asserting that those who were enslaved benefited from their enslavement due to the skills they acquired. While this claim has faced widespread criticism, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a prospective candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, has staunchly defended the perspective of his state’s education department.
Click here to see full blog: https://www.advocate.com/news/nbc-podcast-grapevine-texas
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