The following is from Maria Adams of Summerfield

Dear Editor,

My heart goes out to the families affected by the tragic shooting by a transgender person at Annunciation Catholic School. Gender dysphoria, a serious mental health condition, has led to harmful and deadly outcomes by prioritizing pseudoscience over proper medical care.

Public schools are increasingly promoting materials and practices that encourage affirming this condition, which fosters a dangerous environment rather than addressing the underlying mental health needs.

Guilford County Schools (GCS) is guilty of grooming children to believe a serious mental health illness, such as gender dysphoria, is nothing more than an identity problem that can be treated with a pronoun change and fun clothes.

Have you heard of Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID)? It’s a rare mental health condition where someone feels a strong need to remove or disable a healthy body part, like an arm or leg. Imagine if society treated this as normal and encouraged children to amputate their arms and legs in order to feel “affirmed.” That sounds extreme, doesn’t it?

“Gender affirming care” is as extreme as amputating a healthy limb to treat BIID. Gender dysphoria is a serious mental health condition where a person feels their gender identity doesn’t align with their biological sex. Instead of addressing it as a complex issue, Guilford County Schools provides materials that frame gender dysphoria as a simple or even fun shift in identity.

For example, GCS libraries offer books like You Be You: A Kid’s Guide to Gender, Sexuality, and Family. This book, aimed at children aged 7-11, explains concepts related to gender identity and sexual orientation.

Another book, What Are Your Words? A Book About Pronouns introduces young children to made-up pronouns like “ze” and “zir” for those who don’t identify as a boy or a girl.

GCS also carries “Born Ready” by Jodie Patterson, an activist and Chair of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation Board. According to its Amazon description, “this picture book shares the story of Patterson’s transgender son, focusing on identity and acceptance.” This spring, Summerfield Elementary attempted to use lesson plans from WelcomingSchools.org, an LGBTQ organization tied to the Human Rights Campaign, to discuss sexuality and transgenderism with young students.

These books are accessible to all students, regardless of age or reading level, with no restrictions.

Parents, if you’re worried about your children being exposed to these topics, stay proactive. Take the time to learn about your rights under North Carolina’s Parents’ Bill of Rights (SB 49) and the recently enacted law, HB 805. Learn how to opt your children out of materials you find inappropriate.

Maria Adams

Summerfield