ABOVE: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Photo via Facebook.
The Texas Republican Attorney General sent a letter to the Austin Independent School District in the state’s capital city March 22 informing the district’s superintendent, Stephanie Elizalde, that ASISD’s Pride Week was “breaking state law.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote in his letter that by hosting pride week, the district “has, at best undertaken a week-long instructional effort in human sexuality without parental consent. Or, worse [the] district is cynically pushing a week-long indoctrination of [students] that not only fails to obtain parental consent, but subtly cuts parents out of the loop.”
Paxton added [the Austin ISD’s curriculum and lesson plans] “deal head-on with sexual orientation and gender identity—topics that unmistakably constitute ‘human sexuality instruction’ governed by state law.”
Austin ISD posted to its website that it would be hosting Pride Week from March 21-March 25 as “a time to highlight the district’s commitment to creating a safe, supportive and inclusive environment” to align “with the National LGBT Health Awareness Week.”
Paxton sent out a tweet in respect to his letter saying:” Today, I sent a letter to @AustinISD for their curriculum and lesson plans that constitute “human sexuality instruction” governed by state law. The Texas Legislature has made it clear that when it comes to sex education, parents—not school districts—are in charge.”
Today, I sent a letter to @AustinISD for their curriculum and lesson plans that constitute “human sexuality instruction” governed by state law.
The Texas Legislature has made it clear that when it comes to sex education, parents—not school districts—are in charge. pic.twitter.com/pVZ4Sj8GMF
— Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) March 22, 2022
ASISD superintendent, Stephanie Elizalde, tweeted back: “I want all our LGBTQIA+ students to know that we are proud of them and that we will protect them against political attacks.”
The district’s spokesman Jason Stanford told The Washington Post the celebration will continue as planned. “We’re going to react to this by doubling down on making sure our kids feel safe and celebrating Pride,” Stanford said.
I want all our LGBTQIA+ students to know that we are proud of them and that we will protect them against political attacks. https://t.co/fNGiaoNM3q
— Dr. Stephanie S. Elizalde (@AustinISDsupt) March 23, 2022
The letter to the ASISD is the latest in Paxton’s attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. In February Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies Tuesday to investigate reports of gender-affirming care on minors, following an official opinion from Paxton that called the treatment a form of “child abuse” under Texas law.
Last week, Paxton intentionally misgendered U.S. Assistant Health Secretary Rachel Levine, causing Twitter to flag the tweet as “hateful conduct,” although Twitter left the tweet up with a cautionary note.
In a follow-up tweet regarding the ASISD letter, Paxton further denigrated Texas LGBTQ+ community members and their allies labeling them ” deceptive sexual propagandists and predators:”
“Liberal school districts are aggressively pushing LGBTQ+ views on Texas Kids! All behind parents’ backs! This is immoral and illegal. I will work with and for parents to hold deceptive sexual propagandists and predators accountable.”
Liberal school districts are aggressively pushing LGBTQ+ views on Texas Kids! All behind parents’ backs! This is immoral and illegal.
I will work with and for parents to hold deceptive sexual propagandists and predators accountable. See my letter to @AustinISD ⬇️ https://t.co/WswUrVw0XT
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) March 23, 2022
