Illinois school district unveils curriculum teaching preschoolers about sexual orientation, gender identity

An Illinois school district this month is having schools teach about sexual orientation and gender study, including projects and lessons for preschoolers.

The dedicated curriculum is part of Evanston/Skokie School District 65’s LGBTQ+ Equity Month, which is one of several special units the school features, along with Latinx Heritage Month and Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action.

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"Throughout the month, educators and prek-8th grade students will broaden their understanding of identity of self and others, allyship, family structures, vocabulary, gender expression, stereotypes, colors on the intersectional pride flag, and the historical contributions of LGBTQ+ people. Each grade level engages in a selection of these topics," the district said in an announcement addressed to families.

The district posted details of the lessons for each grade on its website. Preschool students will learn about the pride flag and be introduced to vocabulary words including gay, lesbian, non-binary, and queer. The concept of transgender is taught in kindergarten.

First graders learn about pronouns, including "ze," "zir," and "hir," and lesson plans include "social justice standards."

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Slides for second grade classes discusses "sex assigned at birth," stating that sex is assigned by a doctor and "is different from gender identity."

By eighth grade, students are taught about "recent bills that aim to limit transgender athletes from participating in school sports," and "actions they can take about these bills."

Lessons about sexual orientation and gender identity for young children are the focus of a new parental rights law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, which prohibits such instruction through third grade. Democrats vilified DeSantis over the law, which they labeled the "Don't Say Gay" bill, accusing it of being anti-LGBT.

DeSantis's press secretary Christina Pushaw addressed the Evanston/Skokie School District's lessons in a statement to Fox News.

"This is appalling, but it’s not surprising. Countless activists, politicians, and media outlets have been gaslighting parents by claiming that "there is no sex ed in K-3" or "kindergarteners aren’t learning about transgenderism." Unfortunately, this isn’t true, and that’s why Governor DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education law – to protect kids in Florida from inappropriate content in the classroom, and to defend parents’ rights to impart their values to their own children," Pushaw said.

"Thanks to our governor and the legislature, Florida kids will not be subjected to ideological indoctrination about sex and gender theory that is unfortunately injected into curriculum in Illinois and other states," she continued, adding that examples such as Evanston/Skokie "demonstrate why Florida’s laws are necessary."

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The school district said that beginning next school year, "the learning associated with the LGBTQ+ unit of study will be interwoven into our curriculum" instead of being its own unit.

Evanston is also where in 2021, the city council voted to approve a plan for reparations to Black residents as compensation for slavery and discrimination. The reparations were in the form of $25,000 awards for down payments on property or home repairs.

Fox News' Edmund DeMarche contributed to this report.