And The Lesson Today Is How To Hate
“Some children have two mummies or two daddies.”
– The Great Big Book of Families
This innocuous (and accurate) sentence set off a firestorm culminating in a violent protest outside Saticoy Elementary School last Friday morning. A group claiming to represent parents at the LAUSD school had spent the previous weeks distributing flyers expressing “outrage” that “K-12 [SIC] students [would] be taught about LGBTQ+ during an assembly” including the showing of a video that says “some kids have 2 mommies, some have 2 daddies.”
While the supposed parents claimed that their “protest [was] in no way an attack on the LGBTQ community,” their actions as the protest began quickly proved otherwise. Early in the day, the group’s speaker hurled a slur over the group’s loudspeaker at a counter-protestor who was trying to de-escalate tension. One protestor was told “Go with the queers, bitch,” while another was told, “Get the F*** out of here, you Jew.” Members of the anti-pride group held up signs equating homosexuality with criminal behavior like pedophilia and grooming. I was present when a member of the clergy who was supporting the LGBTQ+ community was told that he “was going to hell.”
The protestors may have professed that they recognized “the importance of promoting equality and acceptance for all individuals,” but there was one important catch; equality was contingent upon LGBTQ+ individuals staying out of sight in their (gender-appropriate) closet. Any public declaration of their queerness is considered “propaganda” and a violation of children’s “innocence.” How else do you explain anger expressed over a child bringing “home rainbow-colored stickers…from school”?
The atmosphere was very different across the street where members of the LGBGTQ+ community and their allies were there to present a counter to the hatred and bigotry. There was also a celebration of the beginning of Pride month. Rainbows and bright colors provided a stark contrast to the black-clad protestors with angry facial expressions. “We Are Family” and “Love Will Keep Up Together” dominated the soundscape, replacing angry, rambling speeches against homosexuals, drag-queen story times, Prop-47, and the price of gas under Biden. One participant distributed sidewalk chalk and encouraged the crowd to “dance, have fun and make the area beautiful.” A baby whose stroller displayed a sign that declared “I have two mommies, so what?” warmed people’s hearts and a pit bull was available for stress-reducing pets.
Unfortunately, the peaceful atmosphere would not last. While the LAPD had smartly kept the groups apart at the beginning of the protest, they suddenly switched tactics without warning. At around 8:10 AM the anti-pride protestors were allowed to spill into the street where they immediately descended upon the trans-person who had been fighting hate with joy and sidewalk chalk. As I documented the violence, members of the crowd turned on me. Press footage shows me being physically attacked without any intervention from the police.
As it is not in my nature to back down from a fight, I was lucky to be with a colleague as the violence unfolded and she was able to pull me back from the situation. She was still in the process of talking me down from my adrenaline rush when a police officer grabbed me and threatened to arrest me if I did that again. When I explained to the police officer that I was the one who was assaulted, he escalated the situation and threatened to arrest me right then and there. Again, my colleague put her de-escalation talents to use and the officer backed off. No action was taken against those who assaulted me.
As the morning progressed, there were other instances of violence. According to one report, one of the protestors from the anti-pride side “threatened to shoot protestors” several times. The same reporter took a picture of an anti-Pride protestor “openly carrying bear mace,” a favorite weapon of the January 6th insurrectionists. A fight in front of the school left “a few people hurt visibly on the pro-Pride side.”
There is irony in the fact that this violent protest occurred under banners declaring “Leave our Kids Alone.” It is the job of schools to mold students not only with the knowledge of “Reading, Writing, and ‘Rithmatic,” but also an understanding of the world around them. It is not “propaganda” to expose children to the fact that some families have two mommies and others have two daddies. In fact, children from those families deserve to be seen. The protestors are free to indoctrinate their children with whatever hate they believe is appropriate at home, but at school, all should feel welcome.
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD’s District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him “a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles.” For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.