Dear friend,

I must speak up and condemn what is happening in Glendale, a central part of CA-30. The Glendale Unified School District is being infiltrated by extreme, right-wing conservatives from outside of the district in an effort to shutdown LGBTQIA+ voices & inclusion in the GUSD.

A teacher in the district has been involuntarily transferred from her classroom after physical threats for showing age-appropriate videos that teach students about Pride month and LGBTQIA+ diversity, and school board meetings are being packed by anti-trans hate groups such as “Gays Against Groomers.” This was all prompted by a former Glendale City Council candidate who I shall not name right now because he wants the notoriety.

This isn’t receiving the media attention that it deserves as LGBTQIA+ students, parents, teachers, and allies deserve a safe and inclusive school environment. This is not Florida. We don’t let homophobia or transphobia pass here.

LGBTQIA+ discussion is not indoctrination, it is rather a necessary element in teaching students the very real truth that queer people exist and have had to fight for their rights to legally exist. Queer people are everywhere. We are contributing members of society. We are students. We are families. We are neighbors. We are people.

Attempting to censor all LGBTQIA+ discussion and content in schools underscores the decades-long fight that LGBTQIA+ people have had to endure for legal and social recognition as a marginalized and oppressed segment of U.S. society. We aren’t going anywhere, and we aren’t “grooming” anyone to be LGBTQIA+  -we are saying you’re welcome to come as you are. I, myself, was groomed to be heterosexual and cisgender in my primary schooling, and guess what? I’m still queer.

To be clear, this is not an affront on the GUSD which has many affirming educators and administrators, but rather on the small group of outsiders clamoring about LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

How can you help?

Please attend the Glendale Unified School District Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at 5:00pm. Location: 223 N. Jackson St., Glendale CA, 91206.

Let’s pack the house and show our support for LGBTQIA+ students, teachers, families, and neighbors.

My campaign will be having a zoom meeting with Glendale parent activists this Friday at 2:00pm. Email [email protected] for the zoom link to join the meeting and learn more about the situation and how you can get involved with LGBTQIA+ solidarity in the Glendale Unified School District.

Sincerely,

Maebe