OPINION:
Last month, the Supreme Court decided a case in favor of parents who objected to their children being forced to listen to LGBTQ readings in Montgomery County, Maryland, public schools (“Supreme Court rules for parents challenging school’s LGBTQ story times,” Web, June 27).
The readings were introduced in 2022 and parents were given the right to have their children opt out. This became an administrative problem for the program, as so many children were opting out and the schools feared the minority of children who stayed for the readings would be bullied. So the school decided to eliminate the option to opt out. Many parents objected, sued and ultimately won in the Supreme Court.
On June 27, in his usual weekly email to county residents ,Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich issued a statement about the case, saying: “I am extremely concerned about and disappointed by the Supreme Court decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor. All students deserve to be seen and reflected in how we see our world. Many in our community, including LGBTQ+ families, have experienced hate based on race, religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation, and these fears have only increased with the new administration.” He went on to say that he experience antisemitism growing up and knows “what hate looks like. No one should have to experience that.”
The use of the word “hate” by Mr. Elrich is divisive, incorrect and inappropriate. One of the readings at issue “promotes letting children decide their gender and that doctors only guess at birth.” Parents have a right to protect their children from such nonsense and are not “haters” for doing so.
JOHN NAUGHTON
Silver Spring, Maryland
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