Celebrating Diversity
When my step-daughter heard about the book being read to the students at Saticoy Elementary School last year she was a little jealous: “I wish we had that assembly when I was in school. When my parents got divorced I thought that made me different. In my experience, all families had a mom and a dad. Mine did not have that anymore.”
While “The Great Big Book of Families” was being presented as part of Pride Month, its message is an important one, even for children beyond the LGBTQIA+ community. Exclusion is like a cancer enveloping additional groups as it metastasizes. Elementary school students can be inoculated from this by ensuring they all feel accepted as they gather around a teacher for story time.
The Armenian immigrants who comprised a large segment of those who violently protested the reading of “The Great Big Book of Families” should have understood this message. Their community has fought to have the crimes committed against them by the Turks recognized by the history books. Genocide, like the one committed against the Armenian people, is only possible when ordinary citizens give in to hatred.
The protestors and their apologists have made repeated claims that their protests had nothing to do with hate. Instead, they were trying to “protect” children from “indoctrination.” They do not explain how reminding students that “some children have two mummies or two daddies” is harmful, especially when the page starts with: “Lots of children live with their mummy and daddy.” Why should celebrating diversity ever be controversial?
The protest outside Saticoy Elementary School also put on display the fact that hatred in these groups extended beyond the LGBTQIA+ community. In addition to using homophobic rhetoric, protestors were documented hurling antisemitic insults. Additionally, one speaker on the group's PA system engaged in fat shaming. None of these behaviors should be accepted in society.
In remembrance of the events that occurred last June 2nd, the Northridge East Neighborhood Council’s Education Committee sent the following email to the Los Angeles City Council asking them again to support the LAUSD's attempts at diversity and inclusion publicly:
It has been a year since the group calling themselves “Saticoy Parents” violently protested against an assembly at Saticoy Elementary School in North Hollywood celebrating the diversity of families. Members of this group, who are often seen wearing matching “Leave Our Kids Alone” t-shirts, hurled homophobic, misogynistic, and anti-Semitic slurs as they tried to prevent “The Great Big Book of Families” from being read at the school. Parents had the choice to opt their children out of this program. The protestors wanted to eliminate the ability of parents to choose to have their children participate.
In the aftermath of this violent protest, the Northridge East Neighborhood Council unanimously passed a resolution urging the City of Los Angeles to support the LAUSD’s efforts at promoting inclusion and diversity. While we did not receive a response to our July 12, 2023 email asking for the Neighborhoods and Community Enrichment Committee to express this support to the school district, the problem has continued to grow in our city. These same protesters continue to confront the school boards of the LAUSD and other Los Angeles school districts demanding the elimination of inclusivity and diversity programs.
Last March the NENC Education Committee experienced this hatred directly when members of the Saticoy Parents group and their supporters attended our Zoom meeting. Homophobic statements were regularly used during public comments and the religious beliefs of those who disagreed with them were attacked.
As we celebrate Pride Month, we ask again that your Committee publicly support the LAUSD attempts at diversity and inclusion. Students come from many different types of families, and they all have a right to know that the city they call home supports and welcomes them.
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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.