Thread by @QuestionPDX

THREAD: My #GenderCritical thoughts on how to constitutionally handle gender religion, and its pronouns and whatnot, in schools:

<rant>

(1) Gender ideology IS a religion. It is a faith-based, nonscientific, gnostic-dualist belief system about the soul...

(2) ...specifically, about the corruption of the physical body vs the immutable purity of the gendered soul, with ritualistic practices (language & body modification) for attending to the needs of the gendered soul over the flaws of the sexed body.

(3) Fine. It's a free country. All religions are welcome and may freely exercise. But only up until the point that their free exercise starts to interfere with the constitutional rights of other individual citizens. Then, the state must protect others' rights as well.

(4) One particular area where free exercise may not infringe is public school. This is not a new idea, and it is not controversial. It's an established tenet of constitutional law. The constitution has an Establishment Clause. Government agencies may not promote *any* religion.

(5) Public schools can teach ABOUT religions. Equally. Among other religions. "This term we're going to learn about world religions. Here's a list of the religions and their beliefs and practices." That sort of thing.

(6) But public schools may not PROMOTE any of the religions. No, "this term we're going to say Christian prayers in class," or "this week the cafeteria will stop serving food because we're fasting for Ramadan."

(7) This is where Gender Religion and pronouns come in. Schools MAY NOT require pronouns, and must SAY NO to students and families who make gender-religious demands. The fact that it's unpopular to do what's right doesn't change what's right. Rip off the Band-Aid and say NO.

(8) That this is the only constitutionally defensible course of action is already borne out in court proceedings, with a number of settlements w/ staff wrongly fired for refusing to use bogus pronouns against their will.

(9) So, once again, if you belong to Gender Religion, that's your right. Good for you. You may practice your religion as you see fit. (Unless your religion compels you to gravely physically harm others, like your children--that's a whole 'nother rabbit hole...but I digress...)

(10) But if your fundamentalist beliefs require you to surround yourself with people who practice the same religion, then you are a separatist. Feel free to find yourself a separatist private school just like other separatist religious sects do.

(11) Alternatively, if you want to be part of the melting pot, then say your religious incantations to yourself while coexisting with others who don't say them. And keep your religious views about gendered souls to yourself unless speaking with someone who is actually interested.

(12) And then, effing be willing to tolerate others' views in return, which in all likelihood are not the same as yours, because your religion is considered by most people--justifiably, if I may say so--to be creepy.

(12) You do you. But the rest of us will exercise our free speech as we see fit, including in public school, because it's our legal right and we are living in a society.

</rant>