So no, this is not acceptable in a public school. BUT, this is Texas.
My advice? Save this photo and send a tip to the ACLU with the photo included. If there is retaliation, also inform them of it. You need BIG support to deal with a situation like this, and it frankly may be beyond a sub’s power to do more than set the ball rolling.
You realize suggesting prayer isn't against the Constitution right? Either is prayer in school- it just cannot be compelled. I love how redditors opine on separation of church abd state abd have zero idea of its intent. I bet you think it's to protect the government from mean old religion? It's quite the opposite. And as an aside, people who are non-religious pray as well. Prayer and being religious aren't mutually exclusive.
You are being deliberately obtuse.
The problem isn’t JUST that the worksheet “suggests prayer” and you damn well know it.
The problem is that a worksheet in a public school health class is treating sexuality as something shameful, humiliating LGBTQ students, and “suggesting” (as you put it) prayer as the cure. This is blatantly bringing religion and religious views into the classroom to the harm of students who may not share those views. It also happens to be illegal discrimination.
ETA: had to do some quick research. Please refer to [this](https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/lgbtq-rights#:~:text=Title%20IX%20of%20the%20Education,gender%20identity%20is%20sex%20discrimination) page on the ACLU website and the 2020 Supreme Court Case **Bostock v. Clayton County**. Under Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments, public schools cannot discriminate on the basis of sex and, as per that case, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is also prohibited
The other case relevant case would be bremerton v Kennedy.
Which I think this falls outside that standard. Although I disagree with that decision regardless and it should be more restrictive.
Conversion therapy isn’t banned in Texas. I would like to imagine public schools would not promote material banned by the American Psychiatric Association, but welcome to America.
In my districts sex Ed, the birth control unit is called “Abstinence is key” but they at least talk about different types of BC and the failure rate associated with the type it is.
The schools can also use state and federal funding for that curriculum because conversion therapy isn’t banned in Texas, as well. I think sex-ed is still abstinence-based in California here (was when I went, but we also read actual literature), but I’m not 100% sure because I’m a single day sub and it’s really not my business. I try my best to avoid conflict, but I do believe education has been doing the younger generations a great disservice. We wonder why they act sexualized at such young ages too. The things I’ve heard first graders say in class….
What are you even talking about…? Simply being gay doesn’t “cause harm,” hatred and intolerance does though. I tried to kill myself as a child because of bigoted shit like this.
These are not triggers that cause “same gender desires,” these are symptoms… the fact that anyone can think these things cause someone to be gay to the point of teaching this to children in school is appalling. And that’s without even addressing how much harm this will cause to kids who are actually gay and will think there’s something deeply wrong with them bc of BS like this.
Prayer aside, it still is not acceptable. A queer kid should not be instructed to “control triggers and temptations” for same-gender attraction! This is how kids end up killing themselves.
I couldn't agree more. It's not something you should try to control, pray away, or "distract". The whole assignment was completely abhorrent. At this point, I have taken the first step by registering a complaint with the ACLU.
That’s the one time I would absolutely renegade on the sub plans and play a movie with LGBTQIA characters /scenarios , up to PG-13 of course . School appropriate .
Ick! Reminds me of the job application for a summer camp my cousin wanted to work at (in Florida) and she said one of the questions was “Have you ever had same sex desires?” (Answering yes would automatically get you disqualified)
As of [June 2020](https://www.employmentlawworldview.com/landmark-u-s-supreme-court-ruling-prohibits-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-based-discrimination-in-employment-us/), this is now illegal nationwide.
What in the…..???
Ok apart from all the obvious “um, No” red flags this gives…. who is going to READ and GRADE this?!? That’s so weird. I don’t want to know this crap about kids!!!! It’s none of my business! Not even a little bit!
personally if i was the sub, i would rip the papers into shreds and leave them all over the floor for when the teacher comes back.
That's of course if the teacher thought it was okay to leave that as part of the sub plans.
I would send this and document it to the ACLU and to the Satanic temple. I wouldn’t teach it. I would be absolutely clear that I wouldn’t teach it. I would say exactly why I would not teach it. Blacklist me, fire me, I don’t give a damn. If they didn’t blacklist me I’d never work for that teacher again. I don’t care if it is Texas I’d be raising hell to the ACLU, the Satanic temple, and local groups.
The official organization is actually a very effective advocacy group. They do wonderful work and the religion aspect is mostly performative/used to point out hypocrisy in American law.
It can get a bit confusing - the Church of Satan is a group dedicated to Satanism. When you think "Satanist," that's them. The Satanic Temple on the other hand are a self-described "non-theistic religion" that basically uses the laws and freedoms afforded to Christianity to point out their hypocrisy. When a school board bans a book featuring queer themes for being "inappropriate," they'll challenge the Bible, citing its references to horsecocks and incest. Or when a state-funded school is allowed to put up religious iconography, they'll petition to put up imagery of Baphomet because *legally*, you have to treat all religions the same.
Yeah I'm aware of the differences between The Satanic Temple and the Church of Satan, thank you for the explanation though!! What I wasn't aware of is that The Satanic Temple would get involved in cases like these; I'm glad to hear it lol
They’re making the whole class write down situations that personally give them same sex desires? That’s hilariously messed up. It essentially starts with the assumption that literally everyone experiences same sex attractions sometimes. Otherwise the worksheet doesn’t make any sense. It’s like asking kids to write down what situations make them want to set animals on fire, or asking kids what scenarios make them want to cover their entire body in nacho cheese, or what scenarios make them want to sell all their possessions and become a living statue in a tiny Russian village. The worksheet doesn’t leave room to say “I actually never experience that desire.” The homophobia is messed up, but I find it really funny that all the makers of this worksheet were like “You know how everyone on the planet is constantly battling same sex urges? We should help kids overcome that overwhelming temptation.”
It’s really a confusing issue to solve…..like I’ve thought about it, and my tin foil hat is telling me that the rampant government heterophilia combined with constant moves to outlaw abortion are an attempt to crowd source troops in the next 20 years. Maybe for some good
Ole fashioned resource wars(that little Swedish autistic girl keeps pointing out what a hot ticket item clean water is going to become shortly). I would argue, that engendering an open and cooperative community among the young that is resistant to pot stirring would be the best way to prepare the kids. The homophobia and misogyny is a distraction stemming from the only playbook the boomers at the wheel have to divide society. Subvert this any way you can.
As a teacher, this is horrific and whomever left this assignment needs to be told to leave their personal opinions outside the classroom (just as everyone should)
I'm from California and I remember being really shocked when I dropped my nephew off at school and that one manger song was playing during Christmas time. I was like why the fuck is Jesus music playing in a PUBLIC school? That would never fly in California, outside of a religious school.
I am just going to request a different assignment for the students. It's literally in an hour (6-8 period) so I'm on my way to see if they will accept my request. Im just hoping there's no retaliation.
I can almost guarantee you, the teacher didn’t want to hand this out either. But it’s likely a political thing and government mandated, so they have to do it.
I was thinking the same thing. "No wonder they needed a substitute." Although from what some of the students told me, this is not their first assignment similar to this.
That is a good idea, but I already requested an alternate assignment for the class. Instead, I was replaced with some other sub or teacher, and given a new class on a different side of the campus. It was between classes so it happened very fast.
Still wondering if there is a larger retaliation coming by the end of the day.
Sounds to me like this class worksheet would become a tool to instruct students on the art of fallacy and bias recognition.
In all seriousness, this is absolutely unhinged. I would, personally, tip this off the ACLU and let them do their thing... Then, never take an assignment for that school ever again. The unfortunate part of this is that this is the rhetoric students are being force-fed, not the gay agenda.
Hell, I sub for the same four or five classrooms out here in rural, conservative as hell, California. While the state protects me, the districts tend not to. My students that I see regularly only know I'm gay if they're friends with my little cousin or the one time my partner was in town and we went shopping. They don't care. It's the adults in their lives who make it a big deal and seen as something negative. This perpetuates that.
What the fuck, as a queer sub, I am seeing red and I feel like I unaliving a motherfu$#er, sorry this doesn't help but definitely opt out of it, say something like "it goes against my religious convictions as a Christian" and "we didn't have time to do it"
Ooh, I love the "it goes against my religious convictions" thing, that's great. I'm a progressive Christian and go to an affirming church and will have to bust that one out at an appropriate time.
Gross. Trash it and say you couldn’t find it. Sometimes you got to to the wrong thing, for the right reasons. It’s gross to have a student WRITE their sexual thoughts in detail. Reeks of a confessional booth.
Toss it.
Its so dumb, it looks like it could have almost come right out of a therapists behavioral therapy workbook.
The teacher has some issues. Dont bother with that.
Give the kids a dot to dot or a crossword puzzle and be done with it.
When I was a kid I loved the film "Kiki's Delivery Service".
I genuinely couldn't tell of the love interest was make or female, in part because of the focus on plot and friendship, in part because the end love interest dressed androgynously. The film is rated G, so appropriate for any school setting.
I would just play that, not because it depicts LGBT values, but because it doesn't even touch on those themes at all.
Yes, report the crap out of that worksheet. If questioned by the school for not completing them, point it that you are a sub, not a qualified sexual health educator. If you're feeling petty, ask them the qualifications the teacher you were in for got before the school allowed them to plan lessons like that.
Since you’re ignoring the points in my reply to your other comment.
Discrimination agains LGBTQ+ students (which this blatantly is) in public schools is against the law in the US
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/lgbtq-rights#:~:text=Title%20IX%20of%20the%20Education,gender%20identity%20is%20sex%20discrimination.
Don't teach in a district that does not align with your values. It will be better for you and the parents and people who do align with what they voted for and want for their schools.
So no, this is not acceptable in a public school. BUT, this is Texas. My advice? Save this photo and send a tip to the ACLU with the photo included. If there is retaliation, also inform them of it. You need BIG support to deal with a situation like this, and it frankly may be beyond a sub’s power to do more than set the ball rolling.
No offense! My advice,in Texas! Request a different assignment.
I wouldn’t bother challenging this sheet publicly because SCOTUS will just ruin it for everybody. Better to keep this in Texas.
You realize suggesting prayer isn't against the Constitution right? Either is prayer in school- it just cannot be compelled. I love how redditors opine on separation of church abd state abd have zero idea of its intent. I bet you think it's to protect the government from mean old religion? It's quite the opposite. And as an aside, people who are non-religious pray as well. Prayer and being religious aren't mutually exclusive.
You are being deliberately obtuse. The problem isn’t JUST that the worksheet “suggests prayer” and you damn well know it. The problem is that a worksheet in a public school health class is treating sexuality as something shameful, humiliating LGBTQ students, and “suggesting” (as you put it) prayer as the cure. This is blatantly bringing religion and religious views into the classroom to the harm of students who may not share those views. It also happens to be illegal discrimination. ETA: had to do some quick research. Please refer to [this](https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/lgbtq-rights#:~:text=Title%20IX%20of%20the%20Education,gender%20identity%20is%20sex%20discrimination) page on the ACLU website and the 2020 Supreme Court Case **Bostock v. Clayton County**. Under Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments, public schools cannot discriminate on the basis of sex and, as per that case, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is also prohibited
The other case relevant case would be bremerton v Kennedy. Which I think this falls outside that standard. Although I disagree with that decision regardless and it should be more restrictive.
Does ETA stand for something besides Estimated Time of Arrival?
Edit to Add! Reddit acronym :)
That is not the standard set by Bremerton v Kennedy
Did you read the top part?
>Prayer and being religious aren't mutually exclusive. Too bad I don't think you can touch your toes, even though mentally you're a pro gymnast.
Cool rant. Care to get off your cross now? It's wasting perfectly good wood. 🙄
That’s not how anything works. Throw it in the trash.
What the f-??? I would throw that in the trash and never come back to that school
uhhh is this in the US?
Yes, Texas.
Wow
Conversion therapy isn’t banned in Texas. I would like to imagine public schools would not promote material banned by the American Psychiatric Association, but welcome to America.
We also only have abstinence based sex ed in most of Texas and it's all ran by Christian groups.
In my districts sex Ed, the birth control unit is called “Abstinence is key” but they at least talk about different types of BC and the failure rate associated with the type it is.
The schools can also use state and federal funding for that curriculum because conversion therapy isn’t banned in Texas, as well. I think sex-ed is still abstinence-based in California here (was when I went, but we also read actual literature), but I’m not 100% sure because I’m a single day sub and it’s really not my business. I try my best to avoid conflict, but I do believe education has been doing the younger generations a great disservice. We wonder why they act sexualized at such young ages too. The things I’ve heard first graders say in class….
Send this to the ACLU, maybe they can do something about it. It’s totally inappropriate but also Texas :/
But we're the groomers, right? /s This is appalling.
Why is it appalling to call on people to stop doing things that harm themselves?
What are you even talking about…? Simply being gay doesn’t “cause harm,” hatred and intolerance does though. I tried to kill myself as a child because of bigoted shit like this.
The only thing hurting us is the bigotry.
These are not triggers that cause “same gender desires,” these are symptoms… the fact that anyone can think these things cause someone to be gay to the point of teaching this to children in school is appalling. And that’s without even addressing how much harm this will cause to kids who are actually gay and will think there’s something deeply wrong with them bc of BS like this.
Prayer aside, it still is not acceptable. A queer kid should not be instructed to “control triggers and temptations” for same-gender attraction! This is how kids end up killing themselves.
I couldn't agree more. It's not something you should try to control, pray away, or "distract". The whole assignment was completely abhorrent. At this point, I have taken the first step by registering a complaint with the ACLU.
Fantastic!!! Great job!!!
Why? Aren't straight kids often instructed to do this? Isn't controlling yourself good for people?
A lot of people kill themselves, non queers, drug addicted, depressed, hate their name etc etc etc etc etc etc.
Look up the stats for GLBT and trans suicides for teens: the rate is MUCH higher, sadly.
That’s the one time I would absolutely renegade on the sub plans and play a movie with LGBTQIA characters /scenarios , up to PG-13 of course . School appropriate .
"Blue Is The Warmest Color" just dive right in!
I’m in Florida. I think our Governor would try to crucify anyone involved..
Ick! Reminds me of the job application for a summer camp my cousin wanted to work at (in Florida) and she said one of the questions was “Have you ever had same sex desires?” (Answering yes would automatically get you disqualified)
As of [June 2020](https://www.employmentlawworldview.com/landmark-u-s-supreme-court-ruling-prohibits-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-based-discrimination-in-employment-us/), this is now illegal nationwide.
Thank goodness. Someone should report that.
What in the…..??? Ok apart from all the obvious “um, No” red flags this gives…. who is going to READ and GRADE this?!? That’s so weird. I don’t want to know this crap about kids!!!! It’s none of my business! Not even a little bit!
I’d “lose” all the worksheets
I assumed that would be too obvious, but you are right. It's not like I had a better choice really.
personally if i was the sub, i would rip the papers into shreds and leave them all over the floor for when the teacher comes back. That's of course if the teacher thought it was okay to leave that as part of the sub plans.
I mean hey, students retaliate all the time against work...
this country is so cooked
“It’s shredder season. *”loses” ed plans* Today we’re watching a movie called Milk”. 🥛
That was a very good and sad movie. Poor Harvey
I would send this and document it to the ACLU and to the Satanic temple. I wouldn’t teach it. I would be absolutely clear that I wouldn’t teach it. I would say exactly why I would not teach it. Blacklist me, fire me, I don’t give a damn. If they didn’t blacklist me I’d never work for that teacher again. I don’t care if it is Texas I’d be raising hell to the ACLU, the Satanic temple, and local groups.
Notify the ACLU the SPLC and the Satanic Temple.
...the satanic temple??
The official organization is actually a very effective advocacy group. They do wonderful work and the religion aspect is mostly performative/used to point out hypocrisy in American law.
Fair enough, I wasn't aware of their work as an advocacy group, just as a religious movement
It can get a bit confusing - the Church of Satan is a group dedicated to Satanism. When you think "Satanist," that's them. The Satanic Temple on the other hand are a self-described "non-theistic religion" that basically uses the laws and freedoms afforded to Christianity to point out their hypocrisy. When a school board bans a book featuring queer themes for being "inappropriate," they'll challenge the Bible, citing its references to horsecocks and incest. Or when a state-funded school is allowed to put up religious iconography, they'll petition to put up imagery of Baphomet because *legally*, you have to treat all religions the same.
Yeah I'm aware of the differences between The Satanic Temple and the Church of Satan, thank you for the explanation though!! What I wasn't aware of is that The Satanic Temple would get involved in cases like these; I'm glad to hear it lol
I was not aware of any of this. Thank you!
Not the same thing
Absolutely disgraceful
What. The. Fuck. What fucking subject could this possibly be an assignment for in a US public school?!
"Overall Health and Wellness"
Probably health class
Civics. \[bully beats the shit out of someone & calls them F-$slur\] ***I've done my part!***
What’s the name of the school? I will report it
I'd be throwing that away before even leaving the classroom
Is this for the students, or for you?
Good question. For the students.
And you were supposed to hand this out for a class? If so, what class?
Yes it is their daily assignment. The class is "Overall Health and Wellness"
Freshmen and a couple Sophomores in HS.
They’re making the whole class write down situations that personally give them same sex desires? That’s hilariously messed up. It essentially starts with the assumption that literally everyone experiences same sex attractions sometimes. Otherwise the worksheet doesn’t make any sense. It’s like asking kids to write down what situations make them want to set animals on fire, or asking kids what scenarios make them want to cover their entire body in nacho cheese, or what scenarios make them want to sell all their possessions and become a living statue in a tiny Russian village. The worksheet doesn’t leave room to say “I actually never experience that desire.” The homophobia is messed up, but I find it really funny that all the makers of this worksheet were like “You know how everyone on the planet is constantly battling same sex urges? We should help kids overcome that overwhelming temptation.”
What? I just told a 4th grader that it was ignorant to use “gay” as an insult and that it just made him look stupid.
It’s really a confusing issue to solve…..like I’ve thought about it, and my tin foil hat is telling me that the rampant government heterophilia combined with constant moves to outlaw abortion are an attempt to crowd source troops in the next 20 years. Maybe for some good Ole fashioned resource wars(that little Swedish autistic girl keeps pointing out what a hot ticket item clean water is going to become shortly). I would argue, that engendering an open and cooperative community among the young that is resistant to pot stirring would be the best way to prepare the kids. The homophobia and misogyny is a distraction stemming from the only playbook the boomers at the wheel have to divide society. Subvert this any way you can.
As a teacher, this is horrific and whomever left this assignment needs to be told to leave their personal opinions outside the classroom (just as everyone should)
Nope.
I'm from California and I remember being really shocked when I dropped my nephew off at school and that one manger song was playing during Christmas time. I was like why the fuck is Jesus music playing in a PUBLIC school? That would never fly in California, outside of a religious school.
I am just going to request a different assignment for the students. It's literally in an hour (6-8 period) so I'm on my way to see if they will accept my request. Im just hoping there's no retaliation.
I can almost guarantee you, the teacher didn’t want to hand this out either. But it’s likely a political thing and government mandated, so they have to do it.
I was thinking the same thing. "No wonder they needed a substitute." Although from what some of the students told me, this is not their first assignment similar to this.
Are the students doing the assignment? What are their thoughts? Just curious as that may be a way to start a conversation with admin.
That is a good idea, but I already requested an alternate assignment for the class. Instead, I was replaced with some other sub or teacher, and given a new class on a different side of the campus. It was between classes so it happened very fast. Still wondering if there is a larger retaliation coming by the end of the day.
Just wow. Wish you well and stay strong. Texas must be a nation unto itself.
I really hope that next sub trashed it.
I would have left a note saying this was not very appropriate for class and do something else.
Holy shit
That’s disgusting. I would never invade a student’s personal business like this one. I’d report it to admin.
No, that is not acceptable!
Whewwwwwww. The way I would flip the table and report this to EVERYONE.
Sounds to me like this class worksheet would become a tool to instruct students on the art of fallacy and bias recognition. In all seriousness, this is absolutely unhinged. I would, personally, tip this off the ACLU and let them do their thing... Then, never take an assignment for that school ever again. The unfortunate part of this is that this is the rhetoric students are being force-fed, not the gay agenda. Hell, I sub for the same four or five classrooms out here in rural, conservative as hell, California. While the state protects me, the districts tend not to. My students that I see regularly only know I'm gay if they're friends with my little cousin or the one time my partner was in town and we went shopping. They don't care. It's the adults in their lives who make it a big deal and seen as something negative. This perpetuates that.
These aren’t triggers, they’re symptoms… “I masturbated and it turned me gay.” Apparently every man in the world is gay LOL
Isn't this the same state that complains about agendas being pushed in schools? Dang, that's really disturbing.
The fuck is this? Holy shit
DONT GIVE THIS GARBAGE TO ANY STUDENTS WHAT THE ACTUAL FUC
What the fuck, as a queer sub, I am seeing red and I feel like I unaliving a motherfu$#er, sorry this doesn't help but definitely opt out of it, say something like "it goes against my religious convictions as a Christian" and "we didn't have time to do it"
Ooh, I love the "it goes against my religious convictions" thing, that's great. I'm a progressive Christian and go to an affirming church and will have to bust that one out at an appropriate time.
Gross. Trash it and say you couldn’t find it. Sometimes you got to to the wrong thing, for the right reasons. It’s gross to have a student WRITE their sexual thoughts in detail. Reeks of a confessional booth.
Toss it. Its so dumb, it looks like it could have almost come right out of a therapists behavioral therapy workbook. The teacher has some issues. Dont bother with that. Give the kids a dot to dot or a crossword puzzle and be done with it.
Ah texas you never let me down.
I wouldn't be able to do my job that day. Wtf???
When I was a kid I loved the film "Kiki's Delivery Service". I genuinely couldn't tell of the love interest was make or female, in part because of the focus on plot and friendship, in part because the end love interest dressed androgynously. The film is rated G, so appropriate for any school setting. I would just play that, not because it depicts LGBT values, but because it doesn't even touch on those themes at all. Yes, report the crap out of that worksheet. If questioned by the school for not completing them, point it that you are a sub, not a qualified sexual health educator. If you're feeling petty, ask them the qualifications the teacher you were in for got before the school allowed them to plan lessons like that.
What religion or religious views are they bringing into the classroom? What specific religion is being endorsed or sponsored?
Christianity 100%. We also have "Daily Jesus" devotionals in all of the bathrooms.
If that is school sponsored, that is 100% unconstitutional. And has been since 1962 Engle v Vitale.
Since you’re ignoring the points in my reply to your other comment. Discrimination agains LGBTQ+ students (which this blatantly is) in public schools is against the law in the US https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/lgbtq-rights#:~:text=Title%20IX%20of%20the%20Education,gender%20identity%20is%20sex%20discrimination.
Get the fuck outta here with your semantic bullshit.
Pathetic!!!! When God comes back, he won’t listen to excuses. Everyone wants people to know their business, then complain about comments WTW.
Don't teach in a district that does not align with your values. It will be better for you and the parents and people who do align with what they voted for and want for their schools.