{"id":81050,"date":"2022-05-14T15:32:36","date_gmt":"2022-05-14T20:32:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=81050"},"modified":"2022-05-14T15:34:18","modified_gmt":"2022-05-14T20:34:18","slug":"81050","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/?p=81050","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

BLUF:
\n\u201cGet them into private schools if you can afford it,\u201d she said. \u201cGet them into homeschool co-ops or homeschool them yourself.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Parents Resisted Transgender Push, Teacher Suggested Sending in Child Services<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Epoch<\/a><\/p>\n

If Erin Lee had known what her 12-year-old daughter would be exposed to during an afterschool \u201cart club\u201d last May, she would have never allowed her to go.<\/p>\n

It began innocently enough. Lee received a text from her daughter asking if she could stay late for an \u201cart club\u201d at Wellington Middle School near Fort Collins, Colorado.<\/p>\n

What happened next, though, would change their lives forever.<\/p>\n

The \u201cart club\u201d was actually a meeting of the school\u2019s Genders & Sexualities Alliance (GSA) club, a group dedicated to supporting homosexuality, transgenderism, and other nontraditional ideas about gender and sexuality.<\/p>\n

When the leader told Amanda (name changed to protect the minor) she must be \u201cqueer\u201d if she didn\u2019t feel sexually attracted to anybody, and that she must be \u201ctransgender\u201d if she didn\u2019t feel fully comfortable in her own body, the shy little girl suspected something wasn\u2019t right.<\/p>\n

According to Amanda, that same leader told her not to tell her parents about what would be discussed that day.<\/p>\n

The woman in charge, Kimberly Chambers, who works as a \u201chealth equity initiatives coordinator\u201d for Larimer County and director of the pro-LGBT organization SPLASH Youth of Northern Colorado, also handed out her personal contact information to the children and urged them to contact her anytime.<\/p>\n

Chambers\u2019s organization has boasted of teaching children ages 12 to 16 about \u201cpolyamory\u201d\u2014relationships with multiple sexual partners simultaneously\u2014and other controversial ideas.<\/p>\n

During the afterschool GSA club, according to Amanda, Chambers explained to the children that their family homes may not be a \u201csafe space,\u201d but that there were \u201cresources\u201d available. She also handed out transgender flags and stickers that Amanda understood were supposed to represent the children in the club.<\/p>\n

As soon as Lee picked up her daughter at school, it was clear that something was \u201coff,\u201d the mother told The Epoch Times in a series of interviews about the incident.<\/p>\n

Amanda, looking confused, showed her mother the transgender paraphernalia she had received from Chambers. The transgender flag represented her, Amanda told her mom.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy heart started racing and my mind blacked out,\u201d Lee recounted. \u201cI was in so much shock that I struggled to get out any words.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though the GSA leader at school had told Amanda it was OK to lie to her parents, Amanda knew better. Over the days that followed, she told her parents everything, Lee said.<\/p>\n

Amanda\u2019s parents could hardly believe what they were hearing. Lee, who has described herself as an \u201cally of the LGBTQ community\u201d and said she has a history of voting \u201cpretty progressively on social issues,\u201d was appalled.<\/p>\n

But that would be just the beginning of an ordeal that continues to haunt the family.<\/p>\n

Amanda never went back to the school after that. Instead, her parents put her in a local Christian school, even though it meant Lee would have to work nights to afford it. But as Lee and her husband saw it, there was no other choice.<\/p>\n

Despite that Amanda was pulled out of Wellington Middle School, the family\u2019s difficulties grew.<\/p>\n

After the lesson, Amanda began to wonder whether she might truly be queer and transgender. Her mental state began to rapidly deteriorate, her mother said.<\/p>\n

Multiple family members confirmed to The Epoch Times that prior to what Lee describes as the \u201cgrooming\u201d of her daughter at school, Amanda never showed any signs of \u201cgender dysphoria,\u201d the term used by psychiatrists to describe discomfort with one\u2019s biological sex.<\/p>\n

Afterward, though, it was hard for the girl to shake the idea.<\/p>\n

Lee and her husband, who was outraged by the ordeal, struggled for months with how to talk to their daughter about what had happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t want to say something that would push her further into this dark hole or further into this transgender label,\u201d Lee said. \u201cAnd we did exactly what the trusted adults who indoctrinated her told her we would do. We played right into their narrative.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weeks after the incident, as her mental state got worse, the parents decided to take Amanda to a therapist. The therapist also ended up being \u201cqueer\u201d and sought to affirm the young girl\u2019s confusion about her gender.<\/p>\n

By December, between the COVID isolation and the questions surrounding her gender, Amanda\u2019s mental state was spiraling downward, Lee said.<\/p>\n

The pediatrician immediately prescribed powerful psychotropic drugs for depression\u2014medications that Amanda has since been weaned from\u2014in an attempt to deal with the crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if that fear will ever go away,\u201d Lee said about her own concerns. \u201cI don\u2019t expect to ever stop being struck with sadness about what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fighting Back
\nThe more she thought about the whole ordeal, the more Lee realized she had to do something.<\/p>\n

First, she contacted Chambers, the woman who Lee says \u201cgroomed\u201d her daughter and who also sometimes works as a substitute teacher for the district. \u201cHer response was alarming,\u201d Lee said. \u201cIt was delusional. She doubled down on her actions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next, she contacted the principal, who seemed empathetic but confirmed that secret GSA meetings with children were an intentional part of creating a \u201csafe space\u201d at school.<\/p>\n

There are more than two dozen self-proclaimed LGBT children in the small middle school, according to social media posts by SPLASH. And the district is determined that they be \u201caffirmed\u201d without parental involvement, Lee said.<\/p>\n

After all that, Lee spoke out at a school board meeting and contacted all its members by email. None responded. When she was finally able to sit down with two of them, they both \u201csupported everything that transpired and refused to address any of my concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, exasperated and realizing her first call would have been to the police if this had occurred on a playground or any other setting, Lee contacted the sheriff\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

While law enforcement was deeply sympathetic to her plight, and urged her to speak out loudly, there was nothing they could do from a legal perspective, Lee said.<\/p>\n

District officials, meanwhile, saw nothing wrong with what had occurred, she said. Indeed, some expressed shock that a parent would be upset over the incident.<\/p>\n

As Lee fought back, school officials were working on their next move.<\/p>\n

Among other tactics, documents and communications obtained by The Epoch Times revealed a discussion about the possibility of reporting the parents to child-welfare authorities.<\/p>\n

When Chambers was informed by the art teacher that Amanda\u2019s parents had not been sending her to school since the incident, Chambers wrote back urging her to consider filing a report and have child-protection officials visit the home.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf that persists, you\u2019ll want to talk to admin about doing a well-child check or whatever is within the policies of the school,\u201d Chambers wrote, describing upset parents as \u201cbarriers\u201d and citing an \u201cextreme case\u201d in which a family did not allow their transgender child to leave the home unsupervised.<\/p>\n

Lee was flabbergasted after receiving the documents.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew this woman was evil, but I didn\u2019t see this coming,\u201d she said. \u201cThis teacher and Kimberly [Chambers] forced us to pull our child out of school by creating an unsafe environment, then discussed sending CPS into our home because we pulled her out, at our most vulnerable moment as a family\u2014that they caused.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf my child had indicated that we were not affirming her pronouns and trans identity, I believe the authorities would\u2019ve taken our child away. And everyone involved knew this.\u201d<\/p>\n

District and LGBT Activists Respond
\nThe Epoch Times reached out to Chambers for comment, asking whether she considered nonaffirmation of a child\u2019s gender ideas to be abuse, and seeking confirmation about the story details.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven the private nature of this specific youth and family\u2019s needs, I\u2019d like to share with you a couple of Colorado and National resources around gender identity to help inform your article rather than provide any comment,\u201d she said before providing a number of links on transgenderism and legal issues.<\/p>\n

Wellington Middle School referred inquiries to the district. A message left on the principal\u2019s phone wasn\u2019t immediately returned.<\/p>\n

Poudre School District Executive Director of Communications Madeline Noblett told The Epoch Times that the district couldn\u2019t comment on \u201cspecific student matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked about policies on getting child protection services involved in cases such as Amanda\u2019s, Noblett noted that all district staff are \u201cmandated reporters\u201d under Colorado law. That means they are required to report suspected child abuse.<\/p>\n

Noblett didn\u2019t respond to follow-up questions about district policy on whether parents\u2019 refusal to support their children transitioning to a new gender constitutes abuse.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is the role of the Department of Human Services to investigate the suspected\/reported case; to determine whether the child is safe; to determine if abuse occurred; and to provide appropriate services to the family,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

However, the district aims to \u201ccreate and uphold equitable, inclusive, and rigorous educational opportunities, outcomes, and experiences for all students,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a district, we are committed to making our schools safe spaces in which all students can learn,\u201d Noblett said, adding that the district has \u201ca LGBTQIA+ coordinator who works to advance the resources, support, inclusion, and advocacy of LGBTQIA+ students, staff, and families.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGay Straight Alliances were established as safe spaces for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, allies, and any individual to come together with the goals of ensuring inclusivity, safety, and support,\u201d Noblett said.<\/p>\n

When asked how GSA adult leaders were trained, the communications director said there were no training requirements to lead any club in the district. However, GSA leaders could use resources from the GSA network and from One Colorado, the network\u2019s state affiliate.<\/p>\n

Gillian Ford of One Colorado didn\u2019t specifically address questions from The Epoch Times about how GSA adult leaders are trained, whether it\u2019s standard practice to tell children not to talk to their parents about these issues, or whether the escalating parental outrage was appropriate.<\/p>\n

\u201cSchools are often places where LGBTQ+ young people don\u2019t feel safe or included,\u201d said Ford, whose pronouns are listed as \u201cshe, her, hers\u201d in her email signature.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince 2011, One Colorado has worked with both statewide education associations, as well as local educators, parents, and students to create and sustain the Colorado Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Network to support and empower LGBTQ+ young people and their allies against the bullying, harassment, homophobia, and transphobia in their schools.\u201d<\/p>\n

National and State Trends
\nWhat happened to the Lee family in Northern Colorado is hardly an isolated incident.<\/p>\n

The Epoch Times spoke with other families across the nation who had similar experiences, but almost none were willing to go on record due to fears of retaliation by government officials and activists.<\/p>\n

While the American College of Pediatricians describes teaching children that it\u2019s normal or healthy to impersonate the opposite sex as \u201cchild abuse,\u201d larger and more established associations have taken a different approach.<\/p>\n

A new \u201cpuberty guide\u201d for children between 9 and 12 published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) claims that boys can menstruate and that girls can experience erections.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost babies who are born with a penis grow up feeling like a boy on the inside too. That\u2019s called being cisgender (cis- means \u2018same\u2019),\u201d the guide states. \u201cBut there are some babies born with a penis who grow up feeling like a girl on the inside. That\u2019s called being transgender (trans- means \u2018cross\u2019 or \u2018opposite\u2019).\u201d<\/p>\n

According to a recent report published in the journal Pediatrics, almost 1 in 10 children surveyed now identify as \u201cgender diverse,\u201d far more than traditionally believed.<\/p>\n

Other surveys show even higher numbers. One from UCLA found that more than one-fourth of California teens were viewed by peers as \u201cgender non-conforming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those numbers are rising rapidly.<\/p>\n

Pam Benigno, director of the Education Policy Center at Colorado\u2019s free-market think tank the Independence Institute, told The Epoch Times that she has heard numerous \u201cdisturbing stories\u201d from parents across the state about their children coming home from school confused about their gender.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spoke with a dad who told me that without his knowledge, staff from his daughter\u2019s middle school drafted a transition plan for his daughter to become a male,\u201d Benigno said. \u201cThis is not uncommon. In fact, teachers have been ordered not to tell parents if students take on a new identity while at school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Districts across the state, under the guise of being \u201cinclusive,\u201d are \u201cpushing a radical-left agenda on children\u201d and have even \u201cadopted the nonscientific theory that gender identity is fluid,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

This includes hiring \u201cqueer\u201d organizations to smash traditional notions of normalcy in the minds of students, she added.<\/p>\n

A recently published paper by The Independence Institute aims at helping parents ensure transparency in school curricula. But parents must be vigilant and protect their children from \u201cdevastating emotional and sometimes physical harm,\u201d Benigno said.<\/p>\n

Conservative states are no exception to the trend. In Utah, state controlled-substance data revealed a 10,000 percent increase between 2015 and 2020 in the number of minor girls undergoing medical transitions.<\/p>\n

In Ludlow, Massachusetts, a major lawsuit by parents against the school district is alleging that education officials encouraged children to experiment with alternate gender identities and hide it from their parents.<\/p>\n

Epoch Times PhotoAndrew Beckwith, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute. (Courtesy of Andrew Beckwith)
\nAndrew Beckwith, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, who is involved in the case, is dealing with a surge in such cases in his state.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see the same aggressive attack on the integrity of the parent\u2013child relationship here in Massachusetts,\u201d he told The Epoch Times when asked about parallels between Lee\u2019s story and what\u2019s taking place there.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of the LGBTQ activists want to brand traditional sexual morality as \u2018child abuse,\u2019 and their accomplices in child services terrorize families who won\u2019t just go along with this agenda,\u201d he said, calling these sorts of policies an \u201cappalling and dangerous violation of the rights of parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is happening in Ludlow is part of a larger national agenda to deliberately circumvent the authority of parents over the mental health and religious beliefs of their children.<\/p>\n

\u201cSchool officials around the country are secretly affirming, or even promoting, discordant gender identities in young children.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Biden administration has started threatening legal action against local communities, schools, states, and other institutions that don\u2019t submit to the transgender agenda.<\/p>\n

Warning to Parents
\nAs a result of the ordeal, Lee has lost all trust in the media, the government, the medical profession, and the public school system.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow I don\u2019t trust a single person in the public school system,\u201d she told The Epoch Times. \u201cNot a single one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lee said she has been in contact with numerous attorneys about the case as she considers her legal options. She is still seeking counsel.<\/p>\n

Today, Amanda is doing much better, her parents say.<\/p>\n

But in an effort to help protect other families from similar situations, the family has decided to continue sounding the alarm, while encouraging parents to become more aware and get more involved.<\/p>\n

Among other suggestions, Lee is also urging parents to remove their children from public school.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet them into private schools if you can afford it,\u201d she said. \u201cGet them into homeschool co-ops or homeschool them yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BLUF: \u201cGet them into private schools if you can afford it,\u201d she said. \u201cGet them into homeschool co-ops or homeschool them yourself.\u201d As Parents Resisted Transgender Push, Teacher Suggested Sending in Child Services If Erin Lee had known what her 12-year-old daughter would be exposed to during an afterschool \u201cart club\u201d last May, she would … Continue reading “”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education-schools","category-enemies-foreign-domestic"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=81050"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81053,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81050\/revisions\/81053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=81050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=81050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/milesfortis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=81050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}