Oregon Advises Schools to Keep Students’ ‘Gender Identity’ Hidden From Families

Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has recommended school authorities to keep students' self-proclaimed "gender identities" a secret from parents for maintaining their "confidentiality." Norenko Andrey/Shutterstock

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has released a document advising schools on how to support “gender expansive” students, including keeping their so-called gender identities a secret from family members.

If a student discloses their “gender expansive” identity to school staff, the guidance asks staff members to respect the child’s “confidentiality needs.” Students who do not publicly assert their “gender identity” might have concerns about their families and community members finding out, the new guidance (pdf) states.

“Parent and family support is the goal when supporting gender expansive students, but may not be possible in all situations,” according to the document.

“Schools should refer to their current policies when there may be a safety concern. To the extent possible, schools should refrain from revealing information about a student’s gender identity, even to parents, caregivers, or other school administrators, without permission from the student.”

The updated guidance “clarifies new and evolving laws and policies” on how to address the needs of “gender expansive” students and the school districts that serve them, ODE Director Colt Gill says in the letter.

Speaking to Fox News, an ODE spokesperson confirmed that when students claim that notifying their parents about their “gender expansive” identity might be a safety concern, the department encourages schools to “prioritize the student’s safety within all school environments.”

‘Gender-Affirming’ Care

The document pushes for providing “gender-affirming care” in schools. Services like social affirmation through name, gender markers, pronoun use, access to facilities, athletics, etc. are likely to occur in schools. Medical services like access to puberty blockers, “gender-affirming” surgeries, and hormone therapy are likely to occur within a school-based health center (SBHC), the document noted.

It cited a survey by a Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) at a middle school in which respondents picked “gender-affirming” items like clothing, makeup, chest binders, and menstrual products as something the school should focus on for the upcoming year.

The ODE’s updated gender policy has riled some parents. “Oregon is demonstrating for parents that, once again, academics and education are not the priority of our government school system,” Laura Zorc, executive director of Building Education for Students Together, a group focused on parental rights in education, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“There are so few hours in a day, yet Oregon is committed to pushing and retraining teachers on gender issues rather than educating our children.”

State Gender Agenda

Oregon has been the scene of various attempts at pushing gender agenda among school kids. In August, it was reported that Oregon’s Driftwood Public Library was teaming up with a local high school to establish a “gender-affirming” closet for students that is aimed at helping children get access to items like underwear, makeup, and chest binders.

In December, the ODE was reportedly set to spend $2 million on a campaign seeking to launch a pro-“LGBTQ2SIA+” curriculum, pride events, and teacher training. The plus sign was said to stand for a “myriad of additional marginalized gender identities, expressions, and sexual and romantic orientations,” according to Breitbart.

In an interview with The Epoch Times in October, former school employee Betty said that there wasn’t any LGBT indoctrination in her school just a few years ago. Radical gender ideology came to schools after young teachers adopted them during their training in college.

“They brought the propaganda,” Betty said. “They were immersed in the propaganda at the college level, so they’re just spewing that out. My sense is that they don’t have the same morality that us oldsters do.”

The Epoch Times reached out to the ODE for comment.