rainbow stitched on lgbtq middle school student's jacket
Should teachers have to use students' preferred pronouns?

Is pronoun usage a sincerely held religious belief? One Kansas teacher is about to find out.

Middle school math teacher Pamela Ricard is suing school officials at Fort Riley Middle School after she was suspended for refusing to use a transgender student’s preferred name and pronouns.

She says that using the student’s preferred pronouns violates her Christian faith, and now the Kansas courts will decide where pronouns fall under the umbrella of religious freedom.

Religious Belief... or Bullying?

Pamela Ricard was suspended for three days in the spring of last year and given a written reprimand after refusing to call a transgender student by their preferred male pronouns, continuing to refer to them in class as ‘she’ despite being informed by the student’s classmates that she was misgendering the student in question.

“Ms. Ricard’s faith teaches her that God immutably creates each person as male or female,” the lawsuit states. “And rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.”

Ms. Ricard insists that not only was her suspension a flagrant violation of her freedom of religion, but also that it was levied based on a rule that didn’t exist at the time.

“Neither the District nor the school had a formal policy regarding student preferred name and pronoun use at the time Ms. Ricard was suspended and reprimanded,” says her lawsuit. Rather, she was suspended on generic policies prohibiting bullying and harassing students.

When she returned from her suspension, the principal issued diversity training documents to all staff requiring they use students’ preferred pronouns to foster a “culture of unity and inclusivity” within the school district.

But the crux of the issue remains that Ricard believes her suspension was a violation of her First Amendment rights and that she is unfairly being compelled to defy her religious beliefs.

She “holds sincere religious beliefs consistent with the traditional Christian and biblical understanding of the human person and biological sex,” the lawsuit holds. “Ms. Ricard believes educators have free speech and religious freedoms that may be impacted by gender-identity education policy.”

Freedom to Misgender?

Ms. Ricard is not alone in her objection to preferred pronouns in the classroom. You might remember that last year, a Virginia teacher was placed on leave after refusing to use gender-affirming language because “it will defile the holy image of God.” That educator even went a step further, arguing that using preferred pronouns also violates biblical commands against lying. 

Byron Tanner Cross also sued his school district for putting him on paid leave after he objected at a school board meeting to a proposal that would allow students to use preferred pronouns and names that better reflect their gender identity. "It's lying to a child. It's abuse to a child. And it's sinning against our God," he said at the time.

LGBTQ advocates argue that gender-affirming language from educators is of paramount importance for the safety of students. 

"Transgender youth are more likely to consider suicide than their peers, and experience other mental health crises which are exacerbated when they face this kind of stigma and erasure in the classroom," says LGBTQ rights advocate Melanie Willingham-Jaggers.

"This is about the basic rights and dignity of a human being,” said Gender Spectrum director Joel Baum. “Your beliefs do not allow you to refuse to acknowledge who a student is."

LGBTQ advocates say using preferred pronouns is a basic sign of respect for students, but clearly, some teachers believe the requirement tramples on their religious freedom.

What is your reaction?

141 comments

  1. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

    Really wish fundamentalists would stop using their faith as a shield and cudgel for their bigotry.

    1. Kevin Kline's Avatar Kevin Kline

      I wish they would stop using the Bible as a weapon. That is, in my opinion, sacrilege. To take a word or passage, here and there to 'prove' an opinion is a truly poor way to represent Sacred Texts.

      Peace, Kevin Kline

      1. John Dean Hansen's Avatar John Dean Hansen

        I agree 100 percent

  1. Katelynne Shouse's Avatar Katelynne Shouse

    If you work as a teacher in a Public School System you do as instructed by the Administration and/or School Board for that town or city.......don't like it go find a job in a Private religious school where your bigotry and ignorance will be welcomed with open arms!

    1. Franklin Nichols's Avatar Franklin Nichols

      I find your response very bigoted. I am supposed to respect the rights of a person that wants to change their gender, and call that person a gender. They are not. But you cannot respect my rights, and my religious freedoms not to believe what they're saying. So what you're saying is my right end where your start. A school district cannot make you go against science. If someone wants to call themselves a them. In science there is no thems. In school. We are supposed to teach the truth. What is actual? What can be proven, in science? You cannot prove at them, you cannot prove a vey. These are psychological conditions in my faith cannot be bent by your belief of a psychological condition. So does bigotry to make me bend to your new science. Be it on religion or uneducational purposes. So again, check your bigotry level when you say you have to be forced to go against what is taught and proven in science.

      1. Raven Wind Benavides's Avatar Raven Wind Benavides

        Actually Ma'am, there is no religion currently existing that prohibits acknowledging someone's gender identity. You do not actually have a legal right to deny someone who they are, even in terms of religion. Science actually supports trans individuals, it fits, since there are countless species in the while that change gender or are born one gender and actively act as another. In science there are 'thems', being physically and genetically born half male and female (an Intersex Individual), happen to be living breathing proof of that 'thems' exist. Intersexism is not uncommon either, there are more of us around then there are red-heads. You may actually being intersex too, unless you have gone out and had your DNA tested, you cannot really say for sure. In school, truth is suppose to be taught, stuff proven by science. There is actually several books that explain how chromosomes work, how someone can have both male and female DNA, or be physically both, or physically neither. Science has proved all of this years ago.

        You should know though Ma'am, if you are a Christian or Catholic you are strictly prohibited from judging others. In fact, the bible states quite a few times in many different ways that it is better to cast away wha ever part of you tha is causing you to sinfully judge others. Hands, Eyes, Ideals, the bible says tha anything tha causes you to disrupt the peace among your fellow humans, anything tha makes you sew the seeds of discord, must be cast away. Religiously speaking, the bible is very clear on respecting others, and giving all you can give. If there is something you can give Ma'am, it is your religious right, and obligation to do so.

        Jesus did not go around telling prostitutes' (including crossdressing ones tha could possibly be trans) who or wha they were or were not. He simply assisted them without judging them, and did everything he could to support them on their journey through life. Same with thieves, lepers, and even killers.

        Jesus sat around and shared food and wine without going about stating how his beliefs made it so he could not share food with someone because they did not believe wha he did. Actually, Ma'am, kinda famous for it. The bible mentions those of false faith, who find petty reasons to hold themselves higher than their fellow man. Those who are false prophets. who use their words and faith to turn others against the loving children of god, defending their malice and using god's name to excuse themselves. Something the bible states very clearly is a major sin. Interestingly, the bible stays over and over how you are suppose to be kind to your fellow man, and trust wha they say is true, as you would want them to trust you.

        Also Ma'am, the original bible actually technically has trans individuals in it. and according to the original bible, re-declaring god's wisdom to suit your own (AKA re-writing the bible or cherry picking wha to follow), is a sin.

        You have no religious right to declare you will over someone else's life, to try and limit or say wha someone can or cannot be, tha is a major sin in the bible, which states tha everyone has their own path, and the only ones who know the correct way, are themselves, and god. Those who try to pull others from their own path, or control their fellow man... according to the bible, tha is something only god should do. It also states tha only god may pass true judgement. You are not claiming to be god are you? Acting like god trying to say you know this or tha... tha is one of the greatest sins, one that is suppose to cause a furious and unfurgiving god... Are you sure this is wha you want to do? Please reconsider Ma'am, not just fur others, but fur yourself. Whether you do or do not, we wish you the best! May god have mercy on your soul... if it is right tha he should do so anyway. We cannot say, we're not god after all.

      2. Minister Stefanie's Avatar Minister Stefanie

        "But you cannot respect my rights, and my religious freedoms not to believe what they're saying."

        If that were the case, then I'd like to tell you about my religion, Franklin. My religion tells me your name is actually Francine and I must refer to you only as she/her. If you don't like it, well that's just too bad because you need to respect my religious rights to openly disrespect you. (This is how you sound, btw.)

        You can hold whatever beliefs you decide to, Francine. No one can force you to change your thoughts or have any thoughts in the first place. But your religion does NOT give you the right to force your beliefs on others. By refusing to respect other people's preferred gender pronouns, you are forcing them to adhere to YOUR religion. Being religious is not a free pass to oppress others, no matter how much history may lead you to think so.

        1. John Dean Hansen's Avatar John Dean Hansen

          Your absolutely right agree and believe your very right

      3. Chantelle Renae Scott's Avatar Chantelle Renae Scott

        Of course there are thems in science. Unless you have figured out a way to sex bacteria and little tiny microscopic creatures.

      4. Christopher Marshall Daniel's Avatar Christopher Marshall Daniel

        Maybe you are in the wrong field then.

      5. Minister Ronda's Avatar Minister Ronda

        Yes! Thank you for speaking up

  1. Marcella J Schieffelin's Avatar Marcella J Schieffelin

    It's a matter of respect for another human being. It has nothing to do with your own personal beliefs. That's what freedom, self-determination is all about. If that teacher is so offended or feels that somehow calling a person by their preferred name, then I question whether that teacher is fit to teach all students.

  1. Charlene Newman's Avatar Charlene Newman

    [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

    God looks on the inward part, " the heart" Love one another, don't get caught up in the flesh because God is Spirit, be kind

    1. Val Jester's Avatar Val Jester

      You could not have taken this text more out of context had you been educated about it. You know that's not what it mean. "As sure as the sun sets in the west, to thine oneself be true."

    2. Kelley DeWight Morris's Avatar Kelley DeWight Morris

      Amen! This is the best response I’ve seen on this subject, anywhere!

  1. Marcella J Schieffelin's Avatar Marcella J Schieffelin

    I hope this teacher reflects on her behavior. Her beliefs have nothing to do with how a person would like to be referred to. It's about RESPECT and acknowledging another person. The student is only asking for respect. If the teacher can't do that then perhpas this teacher needs to not be teaching! What message is this sending to the child as well as the rest of the class and the school environment? If she is discriminating against another person due to her beliefs, what other discriminiatory beliefs does she have and what else is she doing to possibly be discriminating against anyone else different than herself?

    1. JaZe's Avatar JaZe

      This is a difficult subject, very many people have not encountered it and feel uncomfortable when they do whether or not religion comes into it. Then they may be concerned about reactions against them if they express that feeling so they seek the shelter of religion.

  1. David Arthur Lewis's Avatar David Arthur Lewis

    Christians have a very weak and insecure god with a lot of mental health issues, especially about reproduction. My goddess is so powerful they are BOTH cis-male and cis-female AND every flavor of LGBTQ all at the same time! Christian god can only do things that are written in that book. Christian god does not have freedom of religion, as he is not all-powerful or all-knowing.The priests of the book tell their god how he can behave and what powers he may use.

    1. Stacey Owens's Avatar Stacey Owens

      David Arthur Lewis,

      How can you say God has a lot of very weak and insecure mental health issues. The woman only spoke on her faith. She said God created man and woman, that was all. God never spoke a word. Yet you say he has mental issues.

      I can't believe how people twit what people say. You make sound as if God is a racist God.

      First of all God did not form transgender, man did. Man was born in to unbelief (inequity) or evil. God created the spirit of man in his likeness first. God could care less what you are on the outside of your body. He doesn't want that part. Its filthily rages to him. God is only concern about the soul of men and women.

      The bible only refers to the form of man not acting. Because the form or the flesh is hostile to God. This is why, when you die the body stay on earth in the grave rotting away. God don't need dirt in the kingdom of God. This is why he said, " dust you are and dust you will return".

      The problem about this issue is: this women is confused out the law in conjunction to her faith in God. She doesn't understand identifying a persons gender has to do with believing in her faith and protocol. This is going to be a really big issue. Whether you believe in God or not.

      She's confused just as you are. In other words, you both have issues. Expect, yours is mental.

      1. Stephanie A Willey's Avatar Stephanie A Willey

        ...God did not form transgender, man did. ??? Here's just a little medical and scientific fact : Individual identity, which includes ones sense of their own gender, AND sexuality are higher brain functions and brain structures which only begin to develop in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Any number of factors, genetics, environmental, and/or (and this is proven science) stress hormone levels of the mother have a direct effect on the development of these brain structures. ie ; cisgender and transgender humans as well as heterosexual, homosexual, and any other type sexual humans are BORN. Not made by man. Made by their creator. This is fact. Go look it up for yourself, but you won't find it in the Bible.

    2. flugo's Avatar flugo

      'davis':

      Your blasphemous comments epitomize a person who is a fool( Psalm 14:1).

      The God of the Bible, of all creation, of the universe IS all-powerful (Psalm 103:19-22) and IS all-knowing (Romans 11:33).

      You don't know Him, judging by your groundless, false diatribe.

  1. Robin Anne Hannon's Avatar Robin Anne Hannon

    I think as a Christian following the love of God, and Jesus's example you should call someone by their preferred pronouns. Look at how many of his disciples were outcasts in that time. He never turned anyone away, and his arms were open. Shouldn't we be the ones with the open hearts, open arms then? Does it defile God's image? Given that God saved every sinner no matter who they were, or how deep the hole they dug, I don't see how it does that. What does defile His image is turning our backs away from those we perceive as different. When we shine the love of Jesus, it is He who will decide rather than us. The letter of the law kills, but the spirit gives life.

    1. Lionheart's Avatar Lionheart

      No, Robin, if you read the stories, and tales in the Bible god didn’t save every sinner. Some little children were not given a chance before he killed them. They didn’t even get a chance to grow up and have a family of their own. As for the women and children he drowned during the flood, they didn’t get a chance either.

      On the plus side, there’s little to no evidence any of those stories were true. There’s still no evidence for Moses and Abraham yet. We don’t even know for sure that Jesus was real, let alone whatever he said was real. Interesting thoughts though Robin, thank you.

      🦁❤️

    2. Krystina S.'s Avatar Krystina S.

      Very thoughtful. I agree, Robin.

    3. John D. Partin's Avatar John D. Partin

      Yes, Robin, God saved every sinner who wanted to be saved and asked to be saved, as Jesus did for the repentant thief beside Him on the cross, but let those who insisted on their own way and didn't want salvation to have it their way and go down to not being saved and unrepentance. When every story told about those who believe every story made up about God should just be believed and accepted as fact, they could more consistently, but still wrongly, believe all that is said against God, but until then, they shouldn't do to God what they wouldn't want done to themselves. God didn't stop Bible writers from making up any lies that they wanted to about Him, anymore than He stops anyone from doing or speaking any other evil thing, since that would interfere with their free will and make freely chosen love impossible, too, but God didn't drown any people in the flood or do any of the other things merely attributed to Him and out of character for Him as a loving God. The proof for God is a universe that can no more create or regulate itself, being a mindless thing, than any other mindless thing can create or regulate itself. What can't even happen for mindless things on the small scale by their own actions, is even more impossible for mindless things on the universal scale, and require, therefore, a Mind behind them.

  1. Robert Edward Szekely's Avatar Robert Edward Szekely

    To not do someone the courtesy of merely following a preferred form of address violates a sincerely held religious belief? No, it shows a complete lack of respect and compassion for one's fellow human beings. It harms absolutely nothing and nobody to honor the student's request, whether we personally agree with it or not. Sounds pretty arrogant to me. Not Christlike at all. CINO-hypocrite, in truth.

  1. Tom's Avatar Tom

    Religion has no place in public schools...the teachers and staff should just use last names, without "Mr.", "Ms." pr anything else...

  1. Douglas Robert Spindler's Avatar Douglas Robert Spindler

    Teachers as should everyone else should use proper pronouns or non-gender specific pronouns when referring to students. God hopes you will do the same. If you don't you are violating God's law and God will punish you.

    1. flugo's Avatar flugo

      'dirty sphincter': Where, WHERE do you find that God has given instruction on pronoun gender usage? Where?

  1. Reverend Andrew's Avatar Reverend Andrew

    When I was in school I had a teacher what always called me Drew. I would refuse to answer her and she would get mad . I would tell her My NAME is Andy not Drew" Yes I know drew is another nicke name for Andrew BUT I Dislike being called that." after weeks of this going on she responded with Andy and Drew are both shorter names for Andrew and I like the name Drew better and that's what I am calling you ! So I responded with well you TT's Look like a Torpedo's with the bras you wear so I am going to start calling you Torpedo TT's . She did not like this and sent me to the office . I told the principal until she starts calling me by my name I will be calling her that when He told me I can't then I started referring to by His First Name not Mr. whatever . and Told him Respect is earned and you just lost all of your by telling me I had to use a name that the teacher Like and told him he should transfer me to another class of get used to seeing me because till she respected me She is nos being called Torpedo TT's ! This weno on for about a week till she started calling me Andy I still called her Torpedo TT's for about another month just to prove a point that you need to be Respectful of others .

    1. John Condron's Avatar John Condron

      I know you were a child at the time, but really? You "prove(d) a point that you need to be Respectful of others" by breaking your word and continuing to disrespect the teacher? Really?

  1. Matthew Mastrogiovanni's Avatar Matthew Mastrogiovanni

    Yes, Christian teachers need to lead by example. Teach respect. Do unto others and all that.

    1. Marnell C Keller's Avatar Marnell C Keller

      In a Christian school, yes. In public school- a hard no. These teachers are imposing their religion on their students by claiming their religious status. Just like political ideologies shouldn't be pushed in school, neither should their personal choice of the god they follow

  1. Chris's Avatar Chris

    It's common courtesy to identify someone as they identify themselves. When I encounter people who refuse to do so, I identify them as I choose to identify them: Bigot, Ass Hat, whatever name comes to mind first.

    It always amazes me how so many people who claim to follow a loving god can be so hateful and bigoted and try to hide behind their "sincerely held religious beliefs" while proving time and again they can't actually live by their beliefs.

  1. J Michael Darnton's Avatar J Michael Darnton

    I thought that here, at least, I could find an alternative community that wasn't infested by the angry hatred and bigotry so characteristic of current American Christianity, but no, I was wrong.

    1. Katelynne Shouse's Avatar Katelynne Shouse

      We're here, J Michael.......don't let the Christo-Fascist get you down! 😊

    2. JaZe's Avatar JaZe

      ah God, poverino! being kicked around like a ball in an entertainment event.

    3. Val Jester's Avatar Val Jester

      Then please see your way out. This is a church with Pastors.

  1. Dewayne Smith's Avatar Dewayne Smith

    I have read several comments and I completely disagree. Yes God is love. Yes God will accept anyone who call on Him to be saved. But God is righteous. He has and will judge. The town of Sodom was judged by our Heavenly Father and 100s if not 1,000s of people were distroyed. Reread the Book of Hosea in the O.T. God judged His chosen people for turning away from Him. I am not a profit but I do read with a clear mind. Our country will be judged for many of the same reasons as His chosen people, the Jews.

  1. Lisa Miller's Avatar Lisa Miller

    So tired of hearing trans this and trans that. Suddenly every other student in the country is either a she from a he or a he from a she. I'll call it what it is. ATTENTION SEEKING! These kids found a way to be different and most of them still date the opposite sex even though they claim they are the same sex as the person that they are dating. What does this mean? It means diddly squat 98% of them would never undergo gender reassignment surgery. They're just doing it for attention. What used to be a mental illness (gender dysphoria and still is!) is now praised... People need to pull their heads out of the sand (and other places) and put their foot down. No more of this nonsense until they are adults. If they're 18 and want to claim to be a she/he or a he-she... Whatever. But not at 2-17!

    1. Katelynne Shouse's Avatar Katelynne Shouse

      Whew......that's so so many words when you could have easily said "I'm an idiot who knows zero about what I'm commenting on". No need to tip toe around your ignorance, get to the point!

  1. Minister Stefanie's Avatar Minister Stefanie

    I think we're asking the wrong question here. Why are we so focused on whether or not a teacher is within "religious rights" to refuse a student's gender preferred pronouns? Shouldn't we instead be asking why that student's rights to freedom of religion were violated when his teacher imposed her religious beliefs on him?

    1. Catherine Marie Boudreau's Avatar Catherine Marie Boudreau

      Yes! This.

  1. Jorden Michael's Avatar Jorden Michael

    ok for one there is supposed to be a clear seperation of church and state , meaning she should not be bringing her religious beliefes into the classroom, nor should any teacher ever, as for misgendering stop being ignorant and just call someone by their pronouns they go by it does not affect you in the slightest, does the bible not say do not judge unless you are perfect and no one is perfect except for god, and does it not also say not to judge people, to love thy neighbor, it does not have anything stipulating they have to follow your beliefs or even do things you agree with stop using religion as an excuse to hate

  1. Rev. Ken Shostad's Avatar Rev. Ken Shostad

    These people [LGBTQ] have gotten away with murder in my opinion, I think they may be .001% of the population and yet, they are running the entire world. Sickens me... I pray for them often and think ALL should have a voice but I'm against being [PRO] whatever when it goes against the majority to the point that others have to change their lives to accomidate others, what about their freedoms??? Zimmerman studied the downfall of civilizations and one thing they ALL had in common are the following 5 conditions: 1) Alternative forms of marriage [men to men, women to women, etc] 2)Feminist movement flourishes, women lose their inclination for childbirth and childbearing. reduction in the birthrate. 3) Increasing desire and celebration for adultery 4) Growing disrespect for authority, both parents and others. 5) Greater tolerance for sexual perversion; trans, LGBT, gay and lesbian, etc...

    Does any of this look or sound familiar?

    GOD Bless America, her True POTUS, her Peoples, and Lands... AMEN...

    WWG1WGA... Q-ANON... Deus Vult...

    1. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

      Can it, wannabe crusader. The only perversion here is your 11th century garbage way of thinking. It looks like the sand recycled sexist, misogynistic, homophobic bs that’s been going on in Christendom since a little after the crucifixion. What sickens me is you jackass Christians who think they can use their faith as a cudgel on anyone they want who think is wrong. That’s not exercising freedom, that’s pure fascist tyranny. Q-Anon is a garbage cult of lies and even more rank bs. Grow from your hatred and vile cult. Goddess Bless your Heart.

      1. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

        Wow, with all the crap/insults/hate you just spewed and somehow Kenneth is in the wrong here? may I ask you what reality out there says this is acceptable? Or speaking or posting like this in a public forum? And then you have the nerve to ask for your deity's blessing? Are you well?

        1. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

          Oh please. I’ve seen the stuff you post, quit your pearl clutching. I live in a world where people who manipulate and gas light over the way others live and then when confronted they cry victim. Thank you for demonstrating that. Goddess Bless you.

          1. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

            The only one clutching pearls here is you because you cant refute what I said and that just ticks you off to no end.

            1. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

              Nah, not really, I can refute it. You just lack the comprehension skills to understand the data surround human biology and how not so cut and dry it is.

              1. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

                then refute it if you can. And no left wing crap sources either. As all you are doing is huffing and puffing right now and nothing more. So either put up or shut up...your choice.

              2. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

                So anything you disagree with is “left wing crap.” It’s kinda funny, they laid people recently to stop watching Fox News for 30 days and had them watch CNN instead. Many changed their views after lol. I can give you the data, but you have to be smart enough to comprehend it. An take off your bias blinders.

                Heres Scientific American

                https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/

                Science Daily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200205084203.htm

                Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/transgender-facts/art-20266812

                Medical News Today https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/the-life-saving-science-behind-gender-affirming-care-for-youth

                My personal favorite. Slate https://slate.com/technology/2021/03/transphobes-science-trap-basic-human-rights.html

                Also. Do your own frigging reading. Right wingers like yourself are ideologically and intellectually lazy. All you do is try and set mental traps that just make you look foolish. To label the science that backs up both gender affirming care for trans, and the science explaining their existence as “left wing” is utterly myopic. There’s a lot more data out there. A good place to start Is Wikipedia. Now understand, I suggest you read the articles there first, then go down to the reference part and click on the info there too. An keep reading.

                I’ll never shut up. Goddess Bless Your Heart. ☮️♥️☮️♥️

              3. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

                You know how desperate you actually look right now?

                First your first link is by a Transgendered STUDENT meaning they have no authority to say anything.

                Your second link shows absolutely NO evidence of a gay gene or a transgendered gene

                Your third link only says that its by staff and then by looking not ONE of them is or has a degree in genetics.

                Your next link does not have ANY scientific proof, and all it is; is the OPINIONS of the people that were spoken to...nothing more.

                And if you had bothered to read your Slate link you will see that this is what THEY say of themselves "general-interest publication offering our analysis and commentary about politics, news, business, technology, and culture" which means they are doing nothing more again except giving their opinion.

                So how about doing your OWN research and stop listening to ignorant people who have no background in this discussion. Or are you so desperate to get your point across that you would willingly lie to the thread and to yourself? And sad for you, you cost yourself all credibility when you had to try and bring into the discussions ...politics. But then again what else can we expect from someone who cant back up their beliefs with facts and reality and science.

              4. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

                Oh, so because they’re trans their opinion is automatically defunct. This isn’t about authority, Gray. All you’re doing is ignoring data to fit your own political view whilst projecting stupidity on my part. To begin with you never thought i had any credibility. The Slate article was saying that it’s useless to argue science with bigots because their small world views come first before everything else. You already established that when you said “no left wing crap.” Once there was even more data on trans people. Unfortunately a lot of that was lost when the nazis burnt books and destroyed the first trans clinic. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-forgotten-history-of-the-worlds-first-trans-clinic/?amp=true

                Trans people have always existed, right wing fundamentalists like yourself have always tried to smother their existence with racism, homophobia, Misogyny, and fear mongering in general. Trying to gaslight their existence with mental illness.

                https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/transgender

                https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/transgender.htm

                https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/06/24/opinions/attacking-transgender-people-is-attacking-science-turban-gill-peterson/index.html

                I don’t really care what you think of my trans brothers and sisters, they’re of my LGBTQ community and I’ll defend them to the best of my ability. We’ll always be here, we’ll always be deserving of human rights. Which is both political and spiritual in essence. Many cultures once respected our right to exist. It’s just a shame that the west has been perverted by fools like you the last couple Millenia into thinking we don’t, and that somehow we are the abominations. And not the warmongering murderous rapacious dominionist zealots whose eyes are bigger than their brains.

              5. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

                yet again here we go with you being desperate.

                Your link about transgendered was 8 YEARS ago. Science has come a long way in disproving everything that was stated then.

                Your link for the CDC comes from a paper that has not even been peer reviewed as of yet because the CDC and the Author refuse to allow it. Now to get peer reviewed means to have it checked for any mistakes. Wonder why they wont allow it?

                Your CNN link is nothing more then the opinion of two people and cant be used as any basis for fact.

                your Scientific America link shows that this was and is nothing more then a bunch of homosexuals trying to claim that they are normal. Nothing more.

                Which means this is the second time you have been destroyed with your fake sources. You would think you would have learned by now but seemingly not.

              6. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

                Queer people are by far more normal than the bigotry you’re spewing. Queer just simply is, whilst your homophobia/queer phobia is a taught and brainwashed response to the what part of born human nature. I’m destroyed? How dramatically childish of you. Science has indeed come along way. Once the layers of blinders and biases that Christian dominionist fundamentalism have been peeled off the world is wonderful colorful place. Queers aren’t indoctrinating anyone. That was our parents and peers who tried to bully, bash, and shame us to be part of a cis hetero Christian fold. I’d throw white into the mix, but then that adds another layer of biases to the conversation that I don’t you’re ready for.. All you’ve really done is show your black and white view points, and your reich wing wing political spins. I see you ignored the part where the Nazis went to great lengths to silence queers. I guess having something in common with those fascists is too painful to talk about. Goddess bless your hear, Gray.

  1. Reverend Kurt's Avatar Reverend Kurt

    Every conceived embryo is female . The gender changes to male or stays female after a short time in the womb. I m not making any point here just a fact of life.

  1. Tony Alvin Owens's Avatar Tony Alvin Owens

    It's bullying to make us use terminology specific to LGBQ

  1. Heather Elizabeth Fitzgerald's Avatar Heather Elizabeth Fitzgerald

    It’s bullying and she is free to practice her “sincere religious beliefs” outside the classroom. If she’s going to continue to teach she needs to treat her students with the same respect she expects from others. Kindness costs nothing.

  1. Shiraz Hussain's Avatar Shiraz Hussain

    A right to a belief is not a right to treat people in an intolerant and cruel manner. These teachers (who seem to believe that they know better than the God who created LGBTQ people just as they are) should not be teaching children or young people.

  1. Michael Barton's Avatar Michael Barton

    The comments so far on this are shocking. Is this a "church" website or a pro-Gay, anti-Religion website?

    That being said, this is an interesting issue. Does the school board have the authority to force a Teacher to use improper pronouns when referencing a mentally ill child?

    To be honest, this is bad for teaching. Students need to respect their teachers in order to learn. When you put a pointless political belief in the classroom like this, you hurt the student's chances of learning because now they're allowed the position to go against the teacher.

    It's bad. If the student has gender issues, they need to get help. Maybe take them out of school for a while until they've been through a round of treatment.

    Transgender folks tend to commit suicide, at 40% or more. Not only that, they live a sad life.

    Rather than let this issue destroy the learning process, the student should get help first.

    Teachers need to be respected at set their rules for the classroom. If they say their pronouns are the natural ones, then that's the rule of the classroom, and students need to respect that. It's really the only way the student will learn.

    1. Minister Stefanie's Avatar Minister Stefanie

      "The comments so far on this are shocking. Is this a "church" website or a pro-Gay, anti-Religion website?" <-- Many religions are accepting and embracing the LGBTQ community these days. God is love, right?

      "That being said, this is an interesting issue. Does the school board have the authority to force a Teacher to use improper pronouns when referencing a mentally ill child?" <-- The article didn't mention anything about a mentally ill child. This teacher is teaching in a public school, where separation of church and state apply. So the question should be: do students have a right to religious freedom? Yes, they absolutely do. So why should this teacher be allowed to force her religious beliefs on them? (I'd also like to know where exactly in the Bible it specifies anything about using preferred gender pronouns.)

      "To be honest, this is bad for teaching. Students need to respect their teachers in order to learn. When you put a pointless political belief in the classroom like this, you hurt the student's chances of learning because now they're allowed the position to go against the teacher." <-- So true! Pointless beliefs don't belong in the classroom--hence why the teacher needs to set her religious beliefs aside while at work, or find another profession she feels is more appropriate. She cannot be a public servant if she imposes her religion on students; doing so violates the very foundation of our nation. It wasn't a matter of not respecting the teacher. If you were in a classroom and a teacher decided he or she was more comfortable referring to you as Michelle and called you she/her, would you sit quietly out of respect for the teacher?

      "It's bad. If the student has gender issues, they need to get help. Maybe take them out of school for a while until they've been through a round of treatment." <-- Transgender students have every right to education, just the same as cisgender students. They should be treated with the same respect and dignity as cisgender students.

      "Transgender folks tend to commit suicide, at 40% or more. Not only that, they live a sad life." <-- I'm guessing you've never actually known a transgender person? I know several, and they're all wonderful people. Funny, kind, interesting, smart people who enrich the world around them. They don't all "live a sad life," like you said.

      "Rather than let this issue destroy the learning process, the student should get help first." <-- This would not have destroyed the learning process if the teacher had respected the student's preferred gender pronouns. It's not hard to do. At all. Pronouns are probably one of the easiest things in the English language, there isn't even any extra syllables or anything. The teacher is the one who disrupted the learning process, inappropriately imposed her religion on students in a public school, and took actions shown to be harmful to her own students. Sounds like she's not fit to be a teacher, really. Perhaps getting a job at Westboro Baptist Church would be more to her liking and make her more comfortable.

      "Teachers need to be respected at set their rules for the classroom. If they say their pronouns are the natural ones, then that's the rule of the classroom, and students need to respect that. It's really the only way the student will learn." <-- So if a teacher decided that the rules in their classroom where that everyone had to switch pronouns entirely, you'd support that?

      Honestly, I feel a little bit of pity for the teacher if she's such a delicate snowflake that preferred gender pronouns are a threat to her faith. Must be a pretty weak belief, if that's all it takes to rattle someone.

      1. Val Jester's Avatar Val Jester

        Right on the money.

    2. Minister Stefanie's Avatar Minister Stefanie

      Why does the teacher have a right to impose her religious beliefs on a student in a public school? If the teacher feels she cannot separate her religion from her profession (separation of church and state), then it's time for the teacher to seek a new profession elsewhere.

  1. Allen Nace's Avatar Allen Nace

    Transgender students are more likely to commit suicide or attempt it! True. However, the reasons behind that are not clear. Is it because of harassment? Or is it because of an underlying mental illness? Identity Disorders are a recognized mental illness. Does that expose lethality issues?
    One may guess that it does.
    Gender? well there are clearly two. Male and female. Other identities may represent a break from reality or a delusion state. Maybe you don't like who you are and "make believe" you are someone or something else?
    I don't care how people live their life but it is unreasonable to think that everyone needs to recognize ad live in your delusion or make believe world. Go on and live your life but there are issues if you don't recognize your gender. This is not a condemnation of anyone or anything just a reality based statement. In sports to allow gendered men to make believe and perform as women is misogynistic,

    1. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

      Nah. Saying trans people are delusional is gaslighting. Trans people, and many LGBTQ+ people kill themselves because society at large are because of harassment, indifference, and an over all lack of acceptance and respect. Trying to use our rate of suicide as a means false concern is insincere and rude.

      Sex and gender aren’t the same thing. And neither is a cut and dry topic. Human biology is not cut dry at all. Gender is based on sex, in other words, perception of secondary sexual characteristics. Gender norms and roles have fluctuated throughout history.

      Saying there are only two genders ignores many non western, non “white” cultures who respect non binary gender norms. Including Indigenous Americans, Polynesian, and Asian cultures. It also ignores many pre Christian European cultures that respected non binary gender norms. Allowing Trans Women to compete with other women is not misogynistic at all. Your reality revolves around living in black and white, where there’s so much gray and color to be seen.

  1. David T. Franklin's Avatar David T. Franklin

    You are allowed to believe in what your faith tells you is right. But to direspect someone is wrong. You don't beleive that transgender people are allowed respect my opinion is you are a hypocrite. First thing is you don't judge. If you dont agree then find another line of work that will line up with your faith. God created everything on this planet.

  1. Tina Jimenez's Avatar Tina Jimenez

    I work in nursing and if a patient tells me what pronouns to address them i will definitely use it.

    God wants us to respect one another. I'm not there to judge my patient, I'm there to care for and treat them.

    Some people just get out of hand with the Bible thumping🤷‍♀️

  1. Rev Mark D's Avatar Rev Mark D

    Sounds like these students are not ready to learn and therefore need to be suspended until they are.

  1. Rev Mark D's Avatar Rev Mark D

    And it also sounds like the school district is not ready to promote students' ability to learn and so the school district needs to be negatively sanctioned as well. In other words, the teacher should win the lawsuit.

  1. Ken Ferguson's Avatar Ken Ferguson

    We should always respect the fact that even God can make mistakes or if not mistakes then his choices he or she has made for us. Who are we to challenge his or her will. Be kind, life isn't very easy for some.

    1. Douglas Robert Spindler's Avatar Douglas Robert Spindler

      @Ken Ferguson Perfect God screws-up one in every 200 births with a sex anomality. Every child of God just wants to be treated fairly and equally. And is that what Jesses teaches?
      Teachers as should everyone else respect everyone regardless of their sexual orientation, if they have a penis, vagina or both, which some people have. Just because you were born straight doesn't give you the right or God's permission to criticize any of God's other creations.

  1. Nicholas J Page's Avatar Nicholas J Page

    Yet again another load of tripe God madeAdam and Eve it's only recently people change their sex I have never come across anyone who has or want's to change sex.I was born a hetrosexual.male and I will die A male it's not God's way or feeling to change sex.If you don't like it lump it.

    1. Krystina S.'s Avatar Krystina S.

      I knew someone who did not know their parents and doctor made the decision to choose their sex for them, as both were somewhat present at birth. Unfortunately, they felt it through childhood, and when they hit puberty, they had more hormonal match to the sex that was not picked for them at birth. Human biology is not divided into male and female the same for everyone. AND this is HOW GOD MADE US. "Love God and Love others as yourself" are the only two Commandments Jesus felt were needed. So the teacher was UNLOVING to others, and therefore NOT CHRISTLIKE, or even Christian in the way of following Christ's teachings. It is amazing how the Evangelical Christians and the Taliban abuse others in the name of Religion.

  1. Bishop William Dusenberry, DD's Avatar Bishop William Dusenberry, DD

    As far as I'm aware, I'm the only ULC bishop who can prove the existence of God -- I've got a DD, two sainthood certificates, four other religion-related doctorates -- have an academic Ph.D. two academic MA's, am a Fulbright Exchange scholar and in this capacity, I can categorically state, that God has no gender, hence the only pronoun that should be applied to God is "it." (as in he, she, or it).

    Because God is the same as nature (or, what others might call their God because they don't know any better) and nature has no gender, all this gobbledygook about what pronoun should be applied to God is nothing else than just plain gobbledygook.

    To ULC'ers who consider God a male, a male who had only one offspring (a son) and a Holy Ghost who is gender neutral -- who acted as a surrogate father so that this God could have a son -- the results just confuse Trump supporting MAGA'ers who believe, that just because their God is a male, males should treat all females as their subordinates.

    To all of those, who've yet to study enough basic science, astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, archaeology, physics and whatever -- I say -- after you do so, you too will realize that God is just what the scientific-ignoramuses called God -- before they knew any better.

    1. Lionheart's Avatar Lionheart

      I’m looking forward to seeing the demonstrable prof that you have for the existence of any god. You will be the first person to collect the Nobel prize for doing that. You will then be able to add that to your other credits William. We’ll all see you in the media very soon. Please let us know which broadcasting company you plan on using for your announcement so that we don’t miss it.

      Thank you for telling us first.

      🦁❤️

      1. Bishop William Dusenberry, DD's Avatar Bishop William Dusenberry, DD

        Lionheart — you’re looking forward to reading my proof of God ?— which means you didn’t read my entire pose.

        God and nature are the same thing; ergo, if I can prove to you that nature exists, then (logic demands) if one’ God is the same as nature, and anyone who’s not mentally challenged, can see that nature exists (with the possible exception of you, Lionheart) then proving nature exists, proves that God exists in the process.

        Obviously those who believe in Allah, the LDS God, the Christian God, or the Hebrew God — accept their Gods without any proof - which they’d e able to do, if they converted to a God based on science (nature) instead of Gods based on prescientific mythological folklore.

        1. Lionheart's Avatar Lionheart

          Ohhh I get it now William. You are calling nature as your God. Like some will call their football team, or a particular player as their god, or a glass of whiskey…..or money.

          So….as for whether any actual omnipotent deity really exists, much like the one mentioned in the Bible, and elsewhere in texts of other religions, you have no demonstrable evidence. You’re a bit of a let-down, but that’s ok.

          Darn it! I thought you were going to do the one thing no one has managed to do yet…..show proof of a real deity.

          Nature is cool though, if that’s all you wanted to say was, nature is your god.

          I’ll stick to my goddess……my wife 🤭

          🦁❤️

          1. Bishop William Dusenberry, DD's Avatar Bishop William Dusenberry, DD

            Several ULC web-site visitors (i can't tell if they're ULC ministers, or not) are intellectually unable to accept the SHP provable God -- most likely because they know little, if anything, about science -- so it's safe to classify them "atheists" because their scientific ignorance prevents them from acknowledging that nature (GOD) is responsible for creating everything -- including the men who concocted what's called "the "God" of the gaps" -- those who can't comprehend that all of the superstition-based Gods, were created by men, who nature was responsible for creating in the first place.

            Nature is what always was, and always will be, and while nature was evolving, evolution enabled the creation of humans -- some of whom tried to explain human origins.

            Back then, supernaturalism was the only to explain how nothing became something; so such scientific no-brainers came up with various mythologies -- and shared their mythologies with all of the other scientific nincompoops.

            In this era science -- we now know better -- we have a provable God which is also known as nature. ergo, everyone who doesn't accept such a provable God is an atheist.

            But instead of acknowledging the supremacy of science (over ancient medieval superstitions nonsense) a few of these science illiterates attack the only provable God, and accept their unprovable ineffable Gods instead.

            That's atheism.

            1. Minister Stefanie's Avatar Minister Stefanie

              Serious inquiry, trying to understand your position here--it sounds like you've just relabeled nature and are calling it god. Do you consider yourself more of a naturalist than a true theist? Or sort of a pantheist?

              I'm curious if you solely attribute nature as being god, or if you have other qualities/attributes you apply to god... do you believe, for example, it is omnipotent and/or omniscient?

              1. Bishop William Dusenberry, DD's Avatar Bishop William Dusenberry, DD

                Stefanie it's not me who has relabeled nature and are calling nature God; because nature was around for an eternity, before nature spawned (via, evolution) humankind -- and a few of these mankind'eres thought up the idea of a God.

                They used such a manmade God -- to answer any questions they had -- for which they had no other rational answer -- and called it God.

                Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the only Christian Bible that makes any sense -- in the Declaration of Independence called his God "nature's God" which Spinoza had figured out, several hundreds of years before Thomas Jefferson.

                Einstein's concept of God was the same as Thomas Jefferson's -- and nature/God is the only provable God that requires no superstitions nonsense (as does the St. James's Bible -- which most Christians use -- if they aren't Catholic-type Christians.

                That you prefer a non-provable ineffable God, Stefanie, can probably be attributed to your lack of an understanding of the scientific method -- or, perhaps you're a Trumpaphile who's also a Qananer, and are still too mal-educated to the degree that you're incapable of understanding astrophysics.

              2. Minister Stefanie's Avatar Minister Stefanie

                "That you prefer a non-provable ineffable God, Stefanie, can probably be attributed to your lack of an understanding of the scientific method -- or, perhaps you're a Trumpaphile who's also a Qananer, and are still too mal-educated to the degree that you're incapable of understanding astrophysics."

                What made you deduce this from my question about clarifying your position? It's way off the mark.

                I don't believe in any non-provable god, nor do I affiliate with any religion. Nature, our connection thereto, and the grand nature of the cosmos, absolutely! Learning more about it whenever I can.

                Definitely not a Trumpaphile or Qananer. The opposite, in fact. Not sure why my question asking for more clarification on your position warranted such animosity, but I suppose you were on the defence after other comments here.

    2. flugo's Avatar flugo

      'bilbury':

      What a vain, self-important braggart you are. Just because you've an alphabet behind your name matters LITTLE. You're the epitome of those who liken knowledge to wisdom, which are often miles apart.

      Invariably it's the insecure, tentative, weak that need to prop up their flimsy ego with a patchwork of pretense.

      I Corinthians 1:27 & Luke 10:21 seem to describe your situation well.

  1. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

    no they dont. they can call these kids by their last name and there is nothing these people can do about it. No matter who says what, if you were born with male parts, then you are and always will be a male. Same goes for female parts. The only exemption is if a person is born with both parts, then the parents make the decision as to who the child will be. Its simple, if the child is born with male internal parts and a vaginal opening, then the vaginal opening is closed. if the child has female internal parts then the male penis would be removed. This is science fact and medical fact and nothing anyone says or claims is going to change this

    1. Krystina S.'s Avatar Krystina S.

      Well, Daniel, I guess you are the World's Sexpert. How does it feel to know more than anyone else? /sarcasm.

      1. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

        awww, whats wrong? mad because I showed you to be a fool using science and medicine?

        1. Minister Stefanie's Avatar Minister Stefanie

          Well firstly, your original comment didn't make anyone look like a fool except yourself. Secondly and thirdly, nothing you said contained anything scientifically or medically sound.

          Fourthly, it's a bit creepy how much time you seem to spend thinking about the genitalia of children. Perhaps you should pray on that?

          1. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

            No it made you look like a fool as three of my family (One sister and two nieces) are Nurses with over 110 years experience(Sister is a PICC Nurse after doing 20 years of emergency helo medicine. My other neice is a head Nurse at Toledo Hospital and my third source is the head nurse in charge of the emergency room and the medical College of Ohio). My Great Nephew is a Surgeon working at the Cleveland Clinic, one of the top hospitals in the US which has had foreign heads of state come to this hospital specifically for treatment. And he has close to 42 years experience in medicine.

            Now I would guess that these people seem to know far more about medicine then you ever will. So unless you have close to 170 years experience in medicine, maybe you might want to keep your mouth shut on things you have no idea what you are talking about. So how about YOU pray about being a pharisee and since you most likely dont know what that is, its a person who knows nothing and tries to make people think they know. Seems a perfect fit on you

          2. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

            the one it made a fool of are the people who are trying so hard to disprove it and failing miserably. So where does that leave you?

    2. Tom's Avatar Tom

      Your comment isn't scientific or medical fact actually. The scientific and medical facts are way more complicated than you are making them out to be. Here's an article that helps elaborate on the complexities surrounding gender: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/

      Since I know you like scientific studies more than articles, regardless as to how well sourced they are, here is a specific study also showing how a person's brain chemistry can cause them to be a gender that is different from their physical sex: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200205084203.htm

      1. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

        Sorry but its a medical fact and your supposed author is not an expert in any way on medical or scientific issues, she is a NEURO scientist and has not even achieved her doctors degree yet, and we somehow are supposed to believe this creature and ignore all the other actual DOCTORS who say this is a lie and a MYTH.

        Oh and by the way, this is someone you should not be quoting from as their field is this "Neurologists are specialists who treat diseases of the brain and spinal cord, peripheral nerves and muscles. Neurological conditions include epilepsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's disease" At no time does it say anything about being a head shrinker, so they are not a credible source. But nice try anyway

        1. Franklin Nichols's Avatar Franklin Nichols

          No, the sex of the embryo is determined at fertilization and depends on whether the sperm that fertilizes the egg carries either an X or a Y chromosome (sperm only carry one or the other, because they are "haploid" cells). All eggs carry an X, because females are XX. If the fertilizing sperm carries an X, the resulting embryo will be XX (female) and if the fertilizing sperm carries a Y, the resulting embryo will be male (XY). It takes about 2 months for the mother's hormones to lower enough to see if it is male or female. So we're not looking at the embryo. Born as a female we're looking at the high rates of mothers estrogen so we can't tell anything until the mothers estrogen lowers look it up. Medical fact look up reproduction science

        2. Tom's Avatar Tom

          I'm really confused, Daniel, because neither of the links I posted are from a neurologist (which would be someone with scientific expertise on how the brain works who can be a doctor) and I don't understand why you're bringing up shrunken heads.

          To pull specifically from the Science Daily article: "'Twenty-one variants in 19 genes have been found in estrogen signaling pathways of the brain critical to establishing whether the brain is masculine or feminine,' says Dr. J. Graham Theisen, obstetrician/gynecologist and National Institutes of Health Women's Reproductive Health Research Scholar at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University."

          1. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

            So you are admitting that you didnt check the background of the author that you tried to cite as a source? Tsk Tsk Tom, you are slipping badly

      2. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

        Oh sort of like where people of your mindset claimed there was a gay gene, and yet was never able to to show this mythical gene. And now you are switching gears and trying to claim there is a transgender gene? Do you even begin to understand how pathetic that makes your argument sound?

        1. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

          People with your mindset utter nothing but outdated beliefs and call it science then prance and peacock around in utter ignorance. The only reason your lot think this way is because you ultimate believe all that is “female” should serve all that is “male.” Biology is never that cut and dry. But a lot of people’s thinking is unfortunately. There are women who are stronger than men, there are men weaker than women. The ones who get offended by this are usually 3rd and 4th rated men who like being grandfathered into the boys club whose merits and attributes are always lacking.

          1. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

            Nope sorry, I utter proved medical fact. Your opinion does not change that. get used to it

            1. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

              Poor Tom. You’ve not actually uttered a fact just a dead horse kicked opinion, enforced by shame and violence. Trans folk are unfortunately used to it. Queer folk in general are unfortunately used to it. Yet we endure and survive. Goddess Bless you Tom.

        2. Tom's Avatar Tom

          No one has brought up a transgender gene in this comment thread except you and you're right about there not being a gay or transgender gene because what causes a person to be gay or transgender is not decided by one gene; it's way more complicated than that.

          Researchers have found a number of genes in the human genome that can influence someone's sexual behavior and none of them have a strong enough effect to be an indicator of someone's sexual preference.

          You should read the Science Daily article I shared because it contradicts a lot of your preconceived beliefs.

          1. Daniel Gray's Avatar Daniel Gray

            You DO know what an example is right? Seemingly by your post you clearly have no idea of what it is so maybe you need to look it up and then you might see why it was used as an EXAMPLE

  1. Alexander Arends's Avatar Alexander Arends

    The use of pronouns is a matter of the English language and should not have anything to do with religious freedom. I can remember back in the 50s when we were introduced to "Ms." At first, it was to address a woman if you were not familiar with her marital status. Today it is used more frequent, to paralel with the term "Mr.". I suppose one could argue that the use of the honorific "Ms" was against the word of God if it was you belief that man is superior to woman. This argument would not hold any water.

    So if a school adopts to add titles to address additional "genders", I don't think one can claim that it violates freedom of religion for those who disagree with it.

    Personally I don't feel the need to come up with additional honorifics, I hope all this "wokeism" will go away and that we come to our senses, but since this deals with the English language, you can't have faculty teach english based on personal interpretation. My take on all this.

  1. Charles Jude Platt's Avatar Charles Jude Platt

    WTH is wrong with us? God, if he exists, doesn't make mistakes. We fallible humans do, all the time. America you are a world class mistake & are degenerating yourself, with Anti-God mistakes.

  1. Charles Jude Platt's Avatar Charles Jude Platt

    If God exists, She or He doesn't make mistakes, except in his very fallible "children." WTH is the matter with ignorant. stupid idiots. We keep.making the same idiotic mistakes over and over, despite what Jesus teaches "why are you looking at the splinter in your neighbors eye, when there is a log in your own."

  1. Edward Fenner's Avatar Edward Fenner

    Really? High time that people grew up and we don't bow to such entitled behaviour as being FORCED to address people by their choice of pronouns, prefixes etc. If it looks like a boy, expect people to assume its a boy. This is nothing more than two things, attention seeking and compensation culture. There are far more important things going on in the world to start making it a legal affront to make a mistake. Humans do. It's also how people end up in the wrong body, a mistake was made somewhere. Accept this ruling and it actually cancels the concept of people being incorrectly sexed on the basis that there is no mistake, its deliberate... 😂

  1. Val Jester's Avatar Val Jester

    This is a prime example of the tail wagging the dog. Notice these are 7th and 8th graders. At this age, these children would be hard pressed to find their own ****** with both hands with the lights on, much less deciding on what sex they think they are. This type of behavior is encouraged by misguided and politically motivated adults whom should be ashamed of themselves if it was not for their emotions over ruling their intellect. It makes not difference what sex you think you are, or that you choose to engage in a life long regimen of drugs to maintain your charade. when your bones are dug up a hundred years from now, a DNA test will show what gender you were. Follow the science, not emotion.

  1. Earl Leiby's Avatar Earl Leiby

    Did the teacher refer to this student as the gender born with? It seems so. If that is the case the teacher in my opinion is blameless. This is going too far teaching children that God errored in creating them the sex they are. Imagine the gall of that. The creator of the entire universe. The creator of everything that was, is and ever will be-happens to make a mistake. A bird will never be a cat. No matter how much the bird wishes it to be true. And if that bird was taught it’s ok to think that, the next cat that sees that bird has its dinner for the night. Things today are completely getting out of hand. Nothing is right or wrong. Everything should be accepted. I am here to tell you that everything should not be accepted. There is a right. There is a wrong. We must be taught to face things. Not pretend they are different when they are not. When we face our challenges that’s when God comes to us to help us grow because of them. Learn from them. Be a better person. Everything is life is not easy and actually should not be easy.

  1. Ronaldo's Avatar Ronaldo

    Not every child born is male or female. Anyone who knows much about science and/or medicine knows that there are a very small number born as asexual or hermaphrodites. The lawsuit against the school states “Ms. Ricard’s faith teaches her that God immutably creates each person as male or female,” so, either God did not properly use her faith to teach her the truth, or she was not listening when He did. I was born male and identified as male for many decades. Now I self-identify as a local god, and my preferred pronouns are 'Lord' and 'Your Highness', and I bring this up every time someone wants to get into a gender debate. It pretty much ends the debate when I make the pronoun demands and stop arguing with, or even recognizing those who refuse to acknowledge me as a god. Many see what I am doing and go along with it.

    1. Franklin Nichols's Avatar Franklin Nichols

      Human asexuality is defined as a lack of sexual attraction to anyone or anything so you're not born that way. hermaphrodites are generally assigned a sex when they're born. So the birt certificate state's what sex they are. So go by that.

    2. Val Jester's Avatar Val Jester

      000.018%. A statistically insignificant argument.

  1. Marnell C Keller's Avatar Marnell C Keller

    Plain and simple- separation of church and state. Teachers are allowed to believe as they see fit and worship their god of choice without interference. But that has to be left at the school steps, in the classroom, the teacher must be as neutral as possible. Its no different than the teacher that pushes a liberal or conservative agenda or the CRT- many parents disagree with this as well. They are also forcing their religious beliefs on their students by refusing to use gender identifying words.

  1. Christopher H Simmons's Avatar Christopher H Simmons

    I believe that if the government can they will outlaw the bible But they will have one fight on there hands

    1. Katelynne Shouse's Avatar Katelynne Shouse

      Could you please let me know when this might happen?? I need to make certain the party I'm going to throw is all lined up and ready to go!

  1. Martin Dominger's Avatar Martin Dominger

    It all has to do with respecting someone's wishes on how they wish to be called.

  1. Cortney M. Hollister's Avatar Cortney M. Hollister

    Why support or advocate for delusional thinking? Why hide behind a faith argument when reality tells the truth?

  1. Joseph Balletta's Avatar Joseph Balletta

    I think the problem revolves around the confusion between a «  universal applicability » which takes its faith from a higher being as being equated given equivalency to individuals belief s that are socially relative. Otherwise why not tolerate each other’s differences why must we always judge and condemn except for the fact that if I think that my belief system hails from the most high that mankind in his usually foolery takes it upon himself to have the power over life and death. This error if we want to call it that comes from man’s ego that overcomes a conscience that can stop and look at thoughts thereby then realizing that thoughts are most of the time not truths. The seared conscience will always substitue rash irrational actions for the mediation, doubt and reflection that betokens faith in a higher power. Therefore these conflicts that delineate cancel culture can b e reduced to understanding a lack of faith in each other and a merciful God which st bottom contradict the highest principles of Christianity. One might say that it is another example of the parodixical creatures that we are.

  1. Rev. Jack Harte, DD, MscD's Avatar Rev. Jack Harte, DD, MscD

    Reality of life, comb the bible, and you find very little to condemn homosexuality. Even the story of Sodom and Gomorrah doesn't really condemn homosexuality as much as it condemns those who compromise a man's domicile, his circle of strength, for their own pleasures. It doesn't promote homosexuality, either, rather the union of a man and a woman and creating new human beings. We don't see any real condemnation until we get to the Acts of the Apostles, written quite sometime after it is believed that Christ was alive. The discipline of reserving sperm for procreation was a sacred discipline. Bearing up was a sign of strength of character. They had no idea how much sperm a man could produce, and had little understanding, if even knowledge, of female eggs. If you ran out of sperm, no more babies for you, they thought. These were labor-intensive times. Babies must be made to work the farm, or the business, or whatever, and the girls, to produce more farm hands. Sons and daughters were not trophies. They were links in the chains of continued existence. A man who could not bear up under strong temptation was wasting a precious commodity - the continuation of a people. Today, we have a million ways to prevent births from occurring, and to end them once they do. Ooops, huh? ...and are encouraged to masturbate for mental and physical health. That would have been an absolute, egregious, atrocious sin, a waste of God's seed, meant only for propagation of the species. In those days, anyone using birth control of any sort, masturbating in any way, doing anything with reproductive equipment and by-products, if you will, other than intending it for procreation, was seen as sinful, against God, despite the fact that most never had a conversation with God, and think they know what God wants. Today, we know that you can pump out sperm as long as the prostate works, and we have labor-saving devises. The need to procreate for the sake of continuing the species is not as dire. That having been said, as a species, there is, in nature a binary system. We use the terms Male and Female to designate each element. As a result of the human reproductive system, most have aspects of both elements There are also those who display different proportions of each element. That is not typical. None of the above statement can be seen as anti-anything. The above can be said for nearly any biological system on Earth. Now, that having been said, as well, children, by the very fact that their gender is meaningless from a biological point of view during childhood, should not be steered from their natural courses until they have not only matured physically, but have had some time to adjust to the change from childhood into adulthood, before they can make any decision or take any action to change their from-birth gender. Let them learn to be people, human beings, before we turn them into sexual beings. It seems that the woke community is all-too-anxious to encourage young people to question their sexuality before they even know what it is. It really amounts to sexual abuse. Groups looking to move their agendas forward are pushing this upon anyone who looks vulnerable to their jargon, their propaganda. We all knew kids who turned out very different from whom they seemed in grammar, even high school. Parents are meant to guide their children until they are old enough to guide themselves. Groups, under the guise of goodness, want to take away a parents rights. I could say a lot of things here, but I don't want to muddy the issue. Children are children. Love them. Guide them. Look after them. Accept them for who they are. Encourage those things that are natural for them as they grow. Encourage those things that compel them, with guidance. Protect them from harm like protecting the sprouts of newly growing seedlings. ...but let them become who they are naturally before we try to change them. More and more, those changes are being made chemically, by the way, with hormones, etc., physically, by the way, with surgery, and emotionally, by the way, through intensive therapy, usually performed by advocates of, and profit-takers from, these philosophies. Leave children alone unless they ask for help through their parents, first off, or they show or exhibit an atypical tendency and physical traits of the opposite gender, or it's medically necessary. Beyond that, advocacy groups, Leave Children Alone. Once they have matured to the point of knowing themselves, by all means, if they ask for help and guidance, guide them to their truer selves with love and care. The rest of us, let us accept them for who they know themselves to be in their hearts, minds, bodies, and souls.

    1. Katelynne Shouse's Avatar Katelynne Shouse

      Being LGBTQ has nothing to do with sex anymore than being straight or cisgender have to do with it, people are born who they are and have an innate understanding of themselves from the earliest of ages. If the child happens to like boys, girls, both, or none at all that is for them to decide as they age. Do you find that heterosexual parents with hetero children are pushing sex on their kids? No! Yet you assume heterosexual, or homosexual, parents are pushing sex onto their children! Why is that? And in regards specifically to Transgender children they know exactly who they are and need nothing but loving parents who are willing to educate themselves and be supportive of their child!

    2. Kevin Kline's Avatar Kevin Kline

      This article had nothing to do with Homosexuality what so ever...

      It has to do with an "adult" taking what she thinks she heard her Pastor say, mixing and twisting it up so she can defend her own transphobia and feelings of uncomfortability. She is obviously clueless about Gender Identity and Personal Authenticity....especially the second.

  1. Barbara Kay Bradford Fenchak's Avatar Barbara Kay Bradford Fenchak

    The teacher is being bullied. The child is being abused if they are getting hormones to alter their bodies. Wish folks would keep up on research. Sweden ha found hormones and surgeries to not be in a child's best interest. https://genderreport.ca/the-swedish-u-turn-on-gender-transitioning/

  1. Thomas A. Follis's Avatar Thomas A. Follis

    I find it really interesting that so many of you detest having certain agendas put on you yet, you do not hesitate to push your agenda on them.

  1. Lady Celynia's Avatar Lady Celynia

    There do seem to be two forces at work here. Where do the beliefs and responsibilities of one party encroach on the beliefs and responsibilities of another party. I was speaking about the subject of gender with an employee and found there are currently 72 genders one can choose from at the current time. After looking at these genders, they are not science. All most every one of them seems to be emotionally motivated. I can be this today, that tomorrow and another type over 72 days. How does one know exactly what another's gender is on any given day? It is confusing and today gender can be used to confuse then bully another person. I do not have an answer or even a suggestion. I do think there is very little logic to gender identifying.

  1. Tareq Asfour's Avatar Tareq Asfour

    Dear Ministers, We are living together and watching the End Times happening right in front of our face’s unfortunately…We knew this teacher would be ridiculed for standing up for her own beliefs. There is many here that are supposed to be standing up for the Lords kingdom and be unaffected. Its the oath and the job that, we must do or we don’t do it at all. I was a appointed to teach a Sunday church class and I sat in two sessions to watch how the Sister would take role and teach classroom. I quietly within my soul screaming out of dismay. After the class I asked her why were you including allot of unwanted lgbtq material into kids class,she replied if we don’t our church will be subjected for law suits and harassment in state of California. I understood clearly that Im not able to teach…

  1. Rev. Rory's Avatar Rev. Rory

    I was a teacher at a religious school. I followed their rules. I taught at a public school. I followed their rules. Is there a passage in any religious book that says you cannot call someone by their preferred name? The name used to reference a person is based on the person's preference, not your beliefs.

    I remember a girl in high school that had a first name that one teacher considered a nickname and insisted on calling this girl by the name she thought should be the student's name. Every day the girl politely corrected the teacher and every day the teacher called her by the name she considered acceptable.

    This young woman didn't make a fuss, just the daily correction, and nobody was suspended or fired. The young woman grew into a wildly successful, happy adult. The teacher most likely spent the rest of her career secure in her beliefs that she should determine what is right and what is not right. (The girl had a birth certificate that showed her legal name but that didn't convince the teacher.)

  1. Michael J McDermott's Avatar Michael J McDermott

    If you FOLLOW THE SCIENCE, the gender of the human is determined by, TWO & ONLY TWO CHROMOSOMES, THE X CHORMASONE AND the Y CHROMOSOMES. Two X chromosomes (XX) makes a girl, whereas an X and a Y chromosome (XY) makes a boy. The bible also states there only two genders, Male and Female. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Gen 1:27

    Sex change surgery is only the nice way of to call body mutilation. Whatever gender you were before mutilation, you still that gender after the mutilation. As far as using a pronoun base on how you are feeling at that particular time you fell like calling yourself a female but you are a male, doesn't make you a woman and vise versa.

    1. Marathuzula's Avatar Marathuzula

      You clearly have never researched when doctors arbitrarily assign a gender to humans who don't fit into either x or y. The science is clear that some times humans have another option, and it isn't binary. It used to be hermaphrodism. Now it is clear that it takes a lot more forms because... it isn't binary.

  1. Michael David Marfut's Avatar Michael David Marfut

    The only answer by default... the teacher, school, etc. should be calling this student by the name given as written/ typed on the birth certificate of the child! Until that is OFFICIALLY changed...

  1. Marathuzula's Avatar Marathuzula

    Consider it a nickname and get over yourself

  1. Eric Gillett's Avatar Eric Gillett

    The world appars to have gone insane. When you are born, you are either male or femal. At some stage in life you my wish that you had been born different. However, if you were born male, you will never be able to bear chilldren. Likewise if you were born female, you wil never be able to make a female pregnant. These are facts. Accept what you are and make the best of it.

    1. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

      Tell that to the men and women who are born Intersex. Tell that to the men and women who are sterile. Not every woman wants to have kids. You’re not stating facts. Just misspelled outdated social views that try to make human biology and psychology a cut and dry topic. The world went insane a couple Millenia ago when Christian make believers thought the earth was theirs for the taking. And my how humanity has suffered under its yoke. How life starts is irrelevant

    2. Lionheart's Avatar Lionheart

      Yep, if someone likes to identify themselves as a dog, or a pony, which some do, does it make them a dog or pony? There was a guy recently dressed up as a deer because he wanted to identify himself as one, and someone shot him in the woods. Fortunately, he survived. 🤷🏼

      🦁❤️

  1. Kristen Bruno's Avatar Kristen Bruno
    1. If its a male, refer to as he. If its a female refer to as she.
    2. If you can't tell, ask the person if they are a male or female. repeat 1.
    3. If they refer to themselves as something other than male or female, refer them to a psychologist. It really isn't difficult. I don't need a bible for that. BTW... Teachers complicit in this "gender indocrination" agenda, need to be put in prison. they are perverts.
    1. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

      A psychologist would probably tell you to find a new job. The only one here being a pervert is you. It’s not gender indoctrination to call someone by their preferred name or pronouns.

      1. Lionheart's Avatar Lionheart

        Yes, if they identify themselves as a dog, and some do, feed them dog food and lead them to a tree or post when they need the bathroom. 🤭

        🦁❤️

        1. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

          To many the lives of trans people is just a joke to be trod upon. I guess I thought you’d be different 🦁❤️ Disappointing, but such is life.

          1. Lionheart's Avatar Lionheart

            Life is too short and serious, Robert, to lose our sense of humour. People have poked fun at me throughout my life in one way or another, as I'm sure everyone has experienced the same thing. Bald, short, fat, thin, white, black, straight, gay, trans, etc., are what the world is made up of. We have to be thankful that most have moved on from what some would have been jailed for, institutionalised, or even killed, for possessing some of those attributes. If anyone on here wants to poke fun at me, and many do, I say; Have at it! I'm totally okay with it.

            I have one friend that likes to identify himself as a Pup, and another who likes to identify herself as a Pony, and at times dress up accordingly. They are still my friends. They haven't lost their sense of humour, and neither have I. We still laugh and have fun. Perhaps there are many that need to just lighten up. 🤷🏼

            Can't stop, I need to find my wife's bone, she'll be home soon.🤗

            🦁♥️

            1. Robert James Ruhnke's Avatar Robert James Ruhnke

              I can’t really argue much with that. Good hearted teasing is a part of a good friendship in my opinion. However, I have to say it’s mildly naive outlook. Most have not moved on globally, whilst many in the “first world” have grown forward in their views of queer folk. The rest of the world still views My queer folk an I as mentally ill or in need of punishment. More grow forward every day. I can’t deny that. The issue is that even here in the states, that seems like it’s slipping backwards everyday, trans lives are terribly shorter than many other queer lives. An “lightening up” is a luxury many can’t afford. I do appreciate your sentiment 🦁♥️.

  1. Timothy Lee Stewart's Avatar Timothy Lee Stewart

    To all my; brothers/sisters, her/she, he/him, them/they, and those of your personal reference of the day ( and I know I got it wrong somehow, which is not the point ) I would like to just take a moment and I'm only just asking a question, but if we all have different ideas and beliefs on a subject that's defines humans emotionally, mentally, spiritually, physically, does a Court of law really have the last say in a matter. It will always come down to what each individual believes to be law in their belief system. Does winning your case in a Court of law make your beliefs the new law that everyone will follow. The biggest question of all is... Where are we going as a society. On one side of the fence (just for example people) we have a Christian and on the other side LGBTQ... Isn't the same law that gives either side the right for justice in their belief system, go against itself? If you're going to go to court based on your constitutional rights for biblical beliefs or inclusion, then to remove or not recognize an individual both fail to follow the law and are both unjustified. Neither side has won. Only one side will feel good.... For the moment. I joined ULC with the understanding that we all had a common goal, a Universal Goal! It would be nice if this wasn't just another media outlet to express hatred towards our fellow human entity regardless of our individual beliefs. Unity with all is my Goal regardless of how naive it might sound.

    Strive To Be Happy.

    Minister T. Stewart

  1. Jeffery Wayne Weatherholtz's Avatar Jeffery Wayne Weatherholtz

    I am a Christian so I'm not going to use that as an excuse. I've read the Bible several times and haven't read about pronoun use...with that said it speaks volumes about honesty and "teaching" our children and discipline. To allow a child to change their pronoun and then force an adult to follow that lead puts the child in the position of authority. Where does it stop? Can they change names? Can they change species just hrlecause they feel like it? The bottom line is that the child was registered in school by a parent as a certain sex. That's what the teacher should be required to refer to the child as. If the child and parent doesn't like it...go to another school and register as the other sex. It's time teachers and the administration stopped giving the students the authority to make the rules.

  1. Barry Vaughn's Avatar Barry Vaughn

    The way I see this if the person was born with whatever organ being a penis a male ,so he is correct , vagina being female , so she would be correct . On the other hand if they was born with both then either would be correct.

  1. Rev. John Bolen's Avatar Rev. John Bolen

    Even though it is scientifically impossible to change your gender or your sex , I believe that every human being deserves to be treated with respect , regardless of the sex they are , would like to be , or any other reason . I personally would not be disrespectful to a person who chooses to use a preferred pronoun , even though I do not agree with it .

  1. Philenda L. Daniel's Avatar Philenda L. Daniel

    Topic: Pronouns and Gender I am strongly, fervently, against anyone being told they do not exist. I am against anyone having to live a life as if they cannot exist and must exist as if they are non-existent because of social constructs, laws, fear, twisted means of justification to any given end, and hate mongering toward anyone who expresses themselves as they know themselves to be. Spiritual murder is as much of a sin as physical murder…and to my mind worse. My perspective is only mine. Your perspective is yours. The perspective I am speaking from: Women do not exist according to a published article in USA TODAY and Gender Study Expert(s). If we want to speak of Physical gender as we do Brain gender, we will be traveling a very slippery slope. If we want to talk about gender identity as if it is the same as the manifestation of physical gender created via… natural organic non-genetically modified, surgically unaltered gender…biology, the same as Brain gender, we would be de-evolving ourselves into non-existence altogether… no matter what gender… is in need of being expressed…while experiencing this particular physical plane. The non-existent woman need not worry about the laws of man, nor the Laws of God, the laws of science. The non-existent woman need not be concerned about parents, spouses, children, friends…as they cannot exist as well. Belief, Spirituality, dinner, soccer, school, work…is non-existent for the non-existent. So, non-existent women be free in that knowledge. I do NOT question how someone exists Spiritually; their physical body not matching up to their Spiritual reality…is I can only guess...is a torment in itself…this is NOT AT ALL in question. An individual who feels they are a female in their Spirit in their psyche is female, male, or a multiplicity…if it is felt in their Spirit/psyche then that is what they are and should be. The slippery slope upon which we are sliding…is to deny…gender identity even to those that the identity to which they were born as a natural, organic, non-genetically, surgically unaltered being that began as either a 0 or a 1 and accepted their physical reality as their Spiritual truth which remains as such… is now being questioned?… and is…today…mocked? Words are important, yes, very important; however, an individual is primary to their experience…to demand…to require by law… a secondary individual in a given primary experience, to know who YOU… the primary writer, director, actor, producer…in your production…is setting oneself up, in one’s own play… for huge disappointments and a great amount of suffering; others are not YOU they can’t see YOU because it is only known by YOU and YOU alone knows how it all goes together. YOU are the primary being in YOUR primary experience… Others can only see you from the outside, and you are the mirror of their experience with YOU… they are secondary to your experience and the secondaries are only as important as You allow them to become in your production. They cannot hear what YOU hear in YOUR head…in YOUR psyche… YOUR Spirit…they cannot write as you write, nor understand the play as YOU understand it because they are secondary…YOU have all the inside information. Feeling victimized, disrespected, minimalized, crying, whining, and suffering when someone chooses grammar that does not fit with your production, as the primary writer, director, actor, producer will only lead to , again, suffering of the primary being’s experience. Creating laws to impose one’s needs on secondaries…for the validation of one’s image as the primary in one’s experience is frivolous and it is not helpful to one, or society as a whole, it only causes more Chaos. As the writer, director, actor, producer, one will not change those who cannot see YOU…not through the vehicle of punishment. How they see you has nothing to do with you. Other people’s choices of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions have absolutely no bearing on you…none. What has bearing is the need to resolve uncertainty of one’s own view of one’s own production, and the unresolved issues of feelings of being victimized. It is easier, and admittedly harder to change oneself…meaning…act…rather than re-act…instead of suffering, choose to love…know in your head where you live…the choice of he, she, you, her, him, etc. is not a personal attack…say within your being…this person does not know me…I do not know this person…I know who I am Spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and I am enough. I don’t need validation from any other source and move forward in the experience of the production of…MY LIFE. I study scholars that study the history of religions. I read book by physical and quantum physicists. They have more love and respect for God, the Universe, Heaven, and Life than those who have commented on this article. It is disconcerting and sad. May peace fill you all and Love guide your thoughts. AS YOU BELIEVE Matthew 8:5-13 Aramaic Bible

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