The Smithsonian Zoo Teaches Kids About So-Called ‘Systemic Racism,’ Gender Ideology: Report
The article discusses how the Smithsonian National Zoological Park has been scrutinized for its focus on diversity, equity, adn inclusion (DEI), gender equality, and climate change initiatives. Fox News reported that the zoo emphasizes DEI topics, such as creating the Association of Minority Zoo and Aquarium Professionals to promote inclusivity, and hosting outreach events like International Family Equality Day to support the LGBTQ community. The zoo’s efforts include rainbow-themed animal treats and partnering with various groups for social activism.
Scholars and critics, including Gabriella Hoffman of the Independent Women’s Forum, argue that institutions like museums and zoos should remain apolitical, serving as refuges from ideological debates. Meanwhile, the Smithsonian is also affiliated with international organizations advocating for gender equality and environmental justice, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity for conservation efforts.
Following the Trump governance’s move to cut federal DEI programs, the Smithsonian reportedly shut down its Office of Diversity in January 2025. A recent White House report criticized Smithsonian educational materials for promoting social activism, including gender equality and anti-racism initiatives, asserting that the institution claims to be committed to impartial scholarship despite these efforts.
The Smithsonian National Zoological Park has come under the magnifying glass for emphasizing topics such as DEI, gender equity, and climate change into its programming, Fox News reported Thursday.
The popular Washington, D.C. tourist spot has focused on DEI initiatives over the last few years, particularly with the launch of the Association of Minority Zoo and Aquarium Professionals group. In a 2021 article titled “Why a Group of Zoo and Aquarium Professionals Wants to Ensure the Future of Their Field Is More Inclusive,” curator Craig Saffoe wrote, “As the curator of large carnivores at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and a black man in the zoo field, I have long been keenly aware of the dearth of black and brown faces in my chosen field. After years of thinking about what I could do to try to address this situation, I finally decided to, as my mother told me growing up, ‘stop talking about it, and be about it.’”
The zoo also hosts an annual “International Family Equality Day” to “conduct outreach to the LGBTQ community.” In 2024, the zoo partnered with groups for the event such as the DC Center for the LGBTQ Community, Rainbow Families, and the Smithsonian Pride Alliance. Some reportedly referred to the event as “Gay Day at the Zoo.” The zoo included “rainbow-themed animal enrichment and treats, including colorful ice cakes, for animals throughout the park” for the event.
In another 2021 article published by the Smithsonian zoo titled, “Connecting Ocean Conservation from Sea to Sky,” seabird ecologist Autumn-Lynn Harrison and coral biologist Mary Hagedorn asserted that “Gender equity, civil liberties and justice are necessary ingredients for peace and prosperity, but they also have a direct impact on resource use and climate change.”
The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, whose website says that it embeds DEI in everything it does. The AZA wrote in 2020 that “systemic racism is embedded in our structures, culture and organizations, and we are committed to positive and sustained change that dismantles these barriers.”
Experts like Independent Women’s Forum Center for Energy and Conservation Director Gabriella Hoffman say civic institutions like museums should be free from ideology. “The Smithsonian Zoo should be an escape from politics, not an extension of it. Americans want a refuge from socio-political lectures and guilt-trips,” she told The Washington Stand.
Additionally, the Smithsonian is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a group that claims that “the historic and recurring patterns of gender-based discrimination and bias — including gender-based violence and escalating violence against women environmental defenders, including Indigenous women — continue to demand special attention and corrective action.”
“Conservation is inherently welcoming to all,” Hoffman added. “Divisive alphabet initiatives will incur more harm than good to inspire the next generation of conservationists who want to recover imperiled species that are frequently showcased in zoos.”
This comes at the same time as the Trump administration’s effort to slash ideological messaging over the last year and a half. In January 2025, the Smithsonian Zoo shut down its Office of Diversity following President Donald Trump’s executive order to cut all federal DEI programs, but the ideology appears to still be present in the institution.
The zoo isn’t the only Smithsonian affiliate to defy the executive branch. On July 4, the White House released a report exposing diversity, equity, and inclusion indoctrination efforts in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History educational materials.
The Domestic Policy Council’s report, “Saving America’s Story,” discovered that the museum said it considered itself a site for social action, and held youth conferences exploring “gender equality,” and the “teen resistance to systemic racism.” At the time, a Smithsonian spokesperson commented to ABC News, “For more than 180 years, the Smithsonian has served the American public with nonpartisan and independent scholarship, and we remain committed to doing so.” The spokesperson added the museum “remains committed to impartial learning.”
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