Episode description

It’s a debate being argued across school boards, politics, and family dinner tables: whether educators should be including gender identity and sexual orientation in their k-5 curriculums. At least 5 Canadian provinces and seven US states now require the inclusion of LGBTQ topics, while more conservative states like Florida have banned any mention of such language altogether. Conservative lawmakers and parents argue that teaching about gender identity is inappropriate and confusing for children who are too young to understand the complexity of this subject and its potential life altering consequences. Educators, driven by liberal ideology, are ignoring parents’ wishes and using their classes to push their own political beliefs on impressionable youth. Progressives believe that as the number of children who identify as transgender and non-binary rises, teachers have an obligation to dispel misconceptions about gender and provide inclusive, safe environments for all students, especially the most vulnerable. Contrary to what some right-wing groups claim, you cannot alter or influence a person’s gender identity through education, while banning its teaching altogether will cause emotional and mental distress to our most vulnerable youth.

Arguing for the motion is Jonathan Butcher, the Will Skillman Fellow in Education at The Heritage Foundation

Arguing against the motion is Elizabeth Meyer, associate professor of Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice at the University of Colorado at Boulder

SOURCES:

CBS, CBN, Forbes

The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths 

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Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz

Editor: Adam Karch