Matthew Halloway from AZ Free News reports on Arizona Senate Bill 1002, sponsored by Senator John Kavanagh (LD-3), which would protect parental rights by requiring schools to obtain parental consent before using pronouns or names that differ from a student’s biological sex or legal name. The bill, now awaiting approval in the House, also protects the religious freedom of school employees who have convictions against using pronouns contrary to a student’s biological sex. Halloway quotes Kavanagh, saying that the bill:
“…has to do with school staff and teachers using a pronoun or a nickname for a student that is not aligned with that student’s biological sex. The bill says that no school personnel can call a student by such an inappropriate pronoun or nickname unless the parents consent. And in addition when the parents do consent, no school employee can be forced to call the person by the pronoun that does not align with their biological sex if it violates the employee’s religious or moral beliefs.”
This legislation upholds two fundamental principles: parental rights and religious freedom. Parents have the primary responsibility and right to direct their children’s upbringing, especially regarding sensitive matters like gender identity. The bill ensures schools cannot circumvent parental authority by implementing social transitions without parental knowledge or consent. It also protects the conscience rights of educators, preventing them from being compelled to affirm ideologies that contradict their deeply held beliefs. Kavanagh continued:
“So, we’re going to require parental permission because also it’s a matter of parents’ rights. Parents determine what’s good for their children, not a school staff member or a school teacher, however well-meaning they may be”
Read the full story here.