Global Courant
City and school officials prepared Tuesday for a school board meeting that was expected to be volatile as pro- and anti-LGBTQ+ protesters and speakers faced issues related to the role of schools in teaching gender and sexuality .
The agenda for Tuesday night’s board meeting, which begins at 5 p.m., includes a vote by members on whether to recognize June as Pride month. The rally comes amid a simmering climate over LGBTQ+ rights that boiled over last week when protesters violently clashed at a North Hollywood elementary school at a Pride-themed rally.
Glendale school board meetings have been attended by protesters in recent weeks, with anti-LGBTQ+ activists criticizing the way district staffers are handling LGBTQ+ material.
Glendale police said the clashes between protesters included yelling but no physical confrontations. The department will be present at Tuesday’s meeting, officials said.
On Friday, a fight broke out outside Saticoy Elementary, where more than 100 parents gathered at a Pride Day rally. Last month, a transgender teacher’s Pride flag was burned at the school.
On Monday, Glendale school has a statement and frequently asked questions in response to criticism from anti-LGBTQ+ activists.
“Recently, deliberate and harmful misinformation has been circulating about what is taught in our district and the ways we serve our students,” the Glendale Unified School District said in a statement. “This includes disinformation about the LGBTQIA+ curriculum, sex education, and supporting transgender and gender-nonconforming youth.”
GUSD Parents Voices, a conservative online group with several social media accounts, has called on parents to attend Tuesday’s meeting, posting: “Join the fight against indoctrination in our schools.”
An advocacy group for LGBTQ+, glendaleOUT, has also urged supporters to attend Tuesday’s meeting.
“Tuesday, June 6 is an act of love and gratitude to our GUSD educators and administrators for all the work they have done this year on behalf of our entire Glendale community,” said glendaleOUT on Facebook.
“We really just want to keep the peace and keep it simple and keep the gay community safe and let them know they are loved,” said Gray James, a member of glendaleOUT.
