On the heels of his legal opinion that gender-affirming care for transgender children constitutes “child abuse,” a declaration that critics say is potentially harmful towards those very children and their families, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has written a letter to the superintendent of the Austin Independent School District condemning a Pride Week that celebrates LGBTQ+ students.
Despite the letter, the Pride Week, now in its eighth year, went on as scheduled this week and will conclude Saturday with an outdoor party at a local park in Austin.
“The Texas Legislature has made it clear that when it comes to sex education, parents -- not school districts -- are in charge,” Paxton wrote in his letter to the superintendent, stating his belief that Pride Week’s “curriculum and lesson plans deal head-on with sexual orientation and gender identity -- topics that unmistakably constitute 'human sexuality instruction' governed by state law.”
But the district argues that Pride Week is not about sex education, but rather about teaching inclusion and offering a vulnerable subsect of students a reassurance of safety.
“We aren't worried about Paxton's letter,” Austin ISD spokesperson Eddie Villa told CNN. “Pride Week and sex education are different. Celebrating diversity and acceptance is completely legal.”
The week features a different theme for each day. Themes include “Differences are Awesome” and “Know Your Rights,” as well as a day dedicated to Pride history.
Paxton also took issue with reports he said his office received about “‘community circles’ -- group discussions on sensitive topics that students were encouraged to keep private, presumably from parents.”
Austin ISD also pushed back on this criticism, saying the confidentiality of community circles is only to ensure students feel “trusted and respected for their privacy when sharing in the conversations… It does not mean don't tell your parents.”
In addition, the school district clarified that all Pride Week materials are made available to parents ahead of time, and they are allowed to opt their children out of activities if they so choose.
“I want all our LGBTQIA+ students to know that we are proud of them and that we will protect them against political attacks,” Stephanie S. Elizalde, Austin ISD's superintendent, tweeted Tuesday evening.
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