The Gordon Independent School District, a public school district in rural Texas, appears to incorporate transgender lessons as part of the curriculum. The school’s website lists Unlocking Current Issues: Transgender Life as one of the curriculum resources. The book teaches students about transgenderism, provides tips for coming out as transgender, and advises kids to find another adult to shelter with if their parents aren’t affirming.

The book begins with an explanation on the “human spectrum” and details how in recent years, medical and psychological experts came to a new understanding. “Being trans has a set place on the human spectrum,” the author explains. “Like a rainbow with its many colors, that spectrum is a wide scale.” In fact, the author believes being transgender is as simple as being left-handed, because both are merely normal deviations from the majority.

The next chapter discusses the challenges of coming out as transgender and the negative parental reactions that can come as a result. The author believes that the correct way for parents to deal with a transgender child is to affirm their gender identity. The book tells the story of Joseph Romero who, at the age of six, enjoyed dressing in girls clothes. His parents spoke to a pediatrician who suggested their child might be transgender. This was brought as an example of a positive parental reaction to coming out. On the flipside, those who don’t affirm their child’s gender identity are portrayed as having a “negative parental reaction.” The book encourages trans members of such families to have a “backup person who should be willing to shelter and protect the trans person if necessary.”

[I’ll have more on this as a malpractice issue shortly on the main site. Suffice it to say that school districts such as these will find themselves the target of lawsuits for a long way into the future — and the communities involved will find new school board members to replace those who allow this. — Ed]