Catholic League president questions National Association of Independent Schools’ “queer-inclusive curriculum”

03/31/2022

Incidents

Issues: Indoctrination; Sex and Gender

As of April 5, 2022, NAIS President Donna Orem has not responded to Catholic League President William A. Donohue’s March 1, 2022 letter questioning the sexually explicit “queer-inclusive curriculum” promoted by NAIS.

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organization.

According to Donohue: “Many Catholic parents who send their children to private non-sectarian schools would be horrified to learn what the curriculum entails, as would non-Catholic parents.”

Although Donohue raises concern about the “queer” curriculum in non-sectarian (secular) schools, Parents Defending Education has found that there are 147 Catholic schools that are members of NAIS.

As of March 30, 2022, there are 147 Catholic schools that are members of the NAIS.

On March 1, 2022, Catholic League President William A. Donohue sent a letter to NAIS President Donna Orem questioning the sexually explicit “queer-inclusive curriculum” promoted by NAIS.

Donohue raised concerns that the curriculum was “sexual engineering, not sex education.”

NAIS-Letter Download

In a social media post dated March 30, 2022, education commentator James Lindsay defined the word “queer” as follows:

“Queer” is not “Gay.” It comes from Queer Theory, which is a Marxist manipulation of sex, gender, and sexual identities.”

catholicleague.org-CHILD-ABUSE-AND-PARENTAL-ABUSE-IN-THE-SCHOOLS Download

According to the article “Toward a Queer-Inclusive, Queer-Affirming Independent School” published in the Summer 2014 edition of NAIS’ in-house magazine “Independent School,” NAIS has 16 recommendations for “making an independent school a more queer-friendly community for
students, faculty, staff, families, and alumni”:

Ask about preferred gender pronouns (PGPs)
Support an active Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA)
Include sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in nondiscrimination policies
Reach beyond nondiscrimination to values articulation
Make the curriculum queer-inclusive
Have gender-neutral restrooms
Utilize the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) resources
Start a network of LGBTQ+ alums
Participate in No Name-Calling Week, LGBT History Month, National Coming Out Day, and Transgender Day of Remembrance
Curate library collections to be LGBTQ+ inclusive
Have queer-positive symbols throughout campus
Be willing to learn about nonnormative sexualities and gender issues
Don’t be silent when you hear bigotry
Don’t forget the “B” and “T”
Don’t reduce the experience of queer people to issues of sex
Remember that discussions about identities/affinities invite discussions of intersectionality

NAIS-Toward-a-Queer-Inclusive-Queer-Affirming-Independent-School Download

Catholic League president questions National Association of Independent Schools’ “queer-inclusive curriculum”

147 Catholic schools are members of NAIS:

Submit an Incident Report

147 Catholic schools are members of NAIS:

Submit an Incident Report

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