Ohio Parents Push Back Against Gay Assembly
Ohio parents organized and fought back when their children's middle school entertained an LGBT activist without their knowledge. The Van Buren Middle School in Kettering, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton, held an all-school assembly last October which featured former student, Maulik Pancholy. Now an author and entertainer, Pancholy was on tour to promote his new book. Titled The Best At It, the book is described as a "fictionalized" account of when the actor first realized he was gay in 6th or 7th grade.
Parents were not informed about the assembly, during which Pancholy told students "It's okay to be gay" and "Don't be afraid to embrace being gay if that's how you feel." A voice-over actor for the popular cartoon show Phineas and Ferb, Pancholy was also quoted as telling students that one of the show's characters is gay. (LifeSite News, Oct. 16, 2019)
A week after the assembly, parents discovered the school had given all students an "LGBT survey" without their knowledge at the end of the previous year. Upon request, the school released a copy of the survey, which included such questions as "What is your gender identity? ( ) Female, ( ) Male, ( ) Non-binary, transgender or other, ( ) I prefer not to answer." Another question asked: "Which of the following best describes you? ( ) Heterosexual/straight ( ) Gay or Lesbian ( ) Bisexual ( ) I prefer not to answer."
When word of these events got out, one mother contacted the group MassResistance, who helped her organize the other parents. She passed out flyers educating them about the assembly and included the names and phone numbers of school board members. The parents then reached out to friends, neighbors and relatives, and emailed the flyer to churches and other contacts in and around Kettering.
The Ohio MassResistance team met with school board members and administrators, and "were very clear about what they expected from the district with regard to both the unauthorized survey and the assembly." The superintendent agreed to send letters and make phone calls about any future surveys so parents can opt their children out. He further agreed the school district would not bring in speakers "to discuss their sexuality or topics related to one's sexuality."
Mass Resistance and other pro-family organizations believe this is the kind of action parents need to take across the country. When MassResistance Ohio got involved, "parents worked together to confront the school district." They forced the leadership to back down and change direction, proving that "Pro-family activism can make all the difference."
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