Oregon Middle Schoolers Allowed To Skip Class To Watch Transgender Show

Portland middle school students were allowed to skip class in order to view a TV series about a transgender child.

Students at Twality Middle School within the Tigard–Tualatin School Distric skipped class in order to watch “First Day,” This TV series is about a 12-year-old boy that identifies himself as a woman.

The TV-watching session happened during the middle school’s “Transgender Awareness Week” Held from November 13-19. Students skipped their last two class periods that Friday to watch the show’s first two episodes.

According to The Daily Wire, Twality stated that the school would eventually play the whole series. This was according to one of the PowerPoint presentations Twality showed students.

Presentation given to students (public record request).

“Transgender Awareness Week” Involve “educating the public” “standing up for and with Trans people at Twality,” The presentation.

This week of activities and events that focused on gender had a strong activism component. It encouraged students to organize events and recruit volunteers.

The middle schoolers were taught about transgender history, pronouns and what it means being an Anonyme in the mornings. “ally.” They could also opt in for other activities during lunch like a pizza party to make posters that will be displayed in school hallways. “show our support for trans people everywhere.”

Presentation given to students (public record request)

Parents were informed “Transgender Awareness Week” beforehand and given instructions on how to opt out their children, which some parents did, Traci Rose, director of community relations for Tigard-Tualatin School District, told The Daily Wire.

Asked why the presentation to students only mentions a permission slip signed by a teacher, Rose said that in order to watch “First Day,” Students had to present a permission slip signed both by their parents and one signed by the teacher that stated they had completed class work.

Susan Kosmala, Principal of Twality Middle School wrote a message for parents that “The purpose of this week is to celebrate transgender students in our communities and schools, as well as educate our community about how to be an ally to transgender communities.”

“Medieval Europe had a LOT more pronouns than we typically use now!” Families are also encouraged to read this message.

To be taught to middle schoolers “educate don’t hate” and to use people’s preferred pronouns and apologize when they “misgender” Someone, according to one presentation to students.

“Don’t ever joke about your pronouns if you aren’t sincere about it,” One presentation is read.

Students were also taught that children as young at 5 could learn. “have feelings about their gender identity” That and more “respecting someone else’s gender identity does nothing to take away from who you are.”

“There are actually over 78 gender identities that have been around forever!” One presentation is read.

Suicide was a recurring theme in the school’s presentations to students. The middle schoolers were taught that accepting and supporting a trans-identifying person’s identity makes them less likely to die by suicide.

Students were warned that they could be sent packing if they say or do anything that is not in the student’s best interests. “harmful to the community.”

“You will be asked to leave the room and head to the office to do the Morning Meeting work with an adult,” One of the presentations reads.

The Daily Wire was informed by an anonymous source that Twality staff were frustrated at the lack of recognition. “First Day” Seeing cut into class time.

“The teachers are working hard to try to get their students back on track from COVID … and then they’re losing class time for not research-based material, stuff that’s contradictory. It’s from a biased viewpoint,” The source stated.

According to the source, Tigard Tualatin has seen an increase of trans-identifying students in recent years. Twality teachers are sometimes “coached” not to inform parents about their 11 or 12-year-old’s new gender identity, the district source said.

The Oregon Department of Education’s guidelines State that school staff should “to the extent possible” refrain from disclosing a student’s gender identity to their parents without the student’s permission.

Tigard-Tualatin also allowed Trans-identifiable students can use any bathroom they like since at least 2013.