“Their goal was to break up the family unit and take control of our children,” Shaw said. “They were pushing perversion on our children in every possible way through curriculum and books all while our children were failing at reading, writing, and math. If you speak up, they have continued to show us … how they come after us with blackmail and bills to silence us.”
Other bills the speakers expressed concerns about included legislation that would train teachers to identify whether LGBT youth lack acceptance at home or within their communities, which opponents worry is intended to profile and target Christian parents.
Another would amend criminal harassment laws to include causing serious alarm to a school board member or school employee.
Although the California Catholic Conference was not represented by any speakers at the event, the official public policy voice for the Church in California has expressed concern about several bills considered by state lawmakers.
About 1,000 Californians rallied in front of the state capitol steps in Sacramento on Aug. 21, 2023, to protest a series of bills they say would take away their rights as parents. (Snejanna Yalanji via CNA)
“This year, [California] is seeing an onslaught of bills attempting to separate parents from health care providers and educators around the sensitive topics of sexual health and reproduction,” Kathleen Domingo, the executive director of the California Catholic Conference, told CNA.
“The [California] Catholic Conference joins a growing number of Californians in opposing efforts to mandate curriculum in public schools for which there is no opt-out option, require all foster families to be affirming of gender transitioning, show preference in custody hearings to transition affirming parents, and attempts to remove local school board control of curriculum through parent participation,” she said.
Domingo added that parents should be seen as partners with educators, health care professionals, lawmakers, and other leaders.
“Parents are the primary educators of their children, and the vast majority want to do what is in the best interest of their children,” Domingo continued. “Removing parents from conversations and local decision-making from our schools only enshrines extreme ideology and leaves children without the guidance of their loving parents, in whose care God has entrusted these children.”