Social media had heated debate this week because of this display in a hall at Rockwood Summit High School.
Rene Artman, the Chair of the Republican Central Committee of St. Louis County, posted on her personal Facebook page that the display went too far.
The post attracted more than 300 comments, and screenshots of Artman's post wound up on other platforms like Twitter, garnering thousands of views.
Comments were both in support of the display and against it. Supporters said it gives LGBTQ students more of a chance to be understood and accepted. Those against the display expressed concerns that it defines sexual terms and is on display at school with minors.
WHAT'S ON THE DISPLAY
The display has the title "Rockwood Summit Celebrates," and lists LGBTQ terms such as Genderqueer, Genderfluid, Transgender, Non-Binary, Demiboy & Demigirl, and Agender.
It also defines sexual attraction terms such as lesbian, gay, and bisexual. It's difficult to read some of the words in the picture, but, bisexual, for example, is defined on the display as "People who are attracted to more than one gender." Queer/questioning is also defined, as well as the term "Intersex."
STUDENT GROUP AT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
Some of the comments mentioned that the student group that created the display also gave a presentation at the last Rockwood School Board meeting and described its group, PRISMA, as active in the school with issues like promoting a safe space, the use of the word queer, and encouraging teachers to use their preferred pronouns in emails and display them on the name plates outside their doors.
You can hear the group's presentation
here at the 17:25 mark. Note: other student groups such as Best Buddies also gave presentations prior to this one.
WHAT IS PRISMA?
On Rockwood Summit's website, PRISMA (People Rallying in Support for More Acceptance) is listed as a student club under the subheading language and culture.
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| As seen on the Rockwood Summit High School's website. |
NOT THE FIRST TIME: ALSO MIDDLE SCHOOL
Previously, parents and teachers expressed concern about this display that has since been taken down at Rockwood South Middle School.
Rockwood South school principal, Laurie Birkenmeier, told parents the display was also created by a student club 2 years ago at school, and shows students' handwritten definitions for terms such as lesbian, bisexual, and transgender.
EXAMPLES
Transgender: "For people who now identify as a different gender than they were assigned at birth."
Abrosexual: "For people who's sexuality constantly changes. One day, this person may be lesbian, the next day bi, and the next month Asexual."
The flag colors were explained as blue for boys, pink for girls and the stripe with no color represents "people with no gender."
ONGOING ISSUE: BOOKS, SOME IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Rockwood parents and teachers have been expressing concerns, and support, for sexual content at school since at least the 2020-2021 school year, in ways that are less obvious to students than a hall display: library books.
Books that discuss or define the same terms in the hall displays are in Rockwood school libraries. One of the books, "It Feels Good To Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity" is available to kids as young as kindergarten in 16 of Rockwood's elementary schools. According to Destiny, Rockwood's online library database, it's also available to preschool students in the early childhood center at Lafayette High School.
Pages from the book include:
2ND GRADER CONFUSED WHY DOCTORS ARE SOMETIMES WRONG
The book was formally challenged after a 2nd grader in Rockwood expressed confusion after reading the book in her school's library. Her mom says her daughter seemed concerned that the book said she might be a boy, and asked why doctors are sometimes wrong about whether you're a boy or a girl when you're born.
The challenge committee struggled to reach a decision and met twice so it could consult what it called experts to help them make the decision. This is our
previous post about that.
The committee ultimately voted to keep the book in Rockwood's libraries, but it appears the committee was never told about the 2nd grader and her mom. You can read more about that
here.
SEXUAL CONTENT: NOT JUST DEFINITIONS
Books that describe sexual encounters in explicit detail are also in Rockwood libraries. These encounters are largely heterosexual; some are homosexual. You can see a sample of those books, here. Other controversial books, not related to sexual content, are also in Rockwood's libraries. This is a more comprehensive list.
IMAGES NOT ALLOWED
22 books with images that are sexually explicit according to a new state law,
have been removed from Rockwood's libraries.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Such books and hall displays are in Rockwood, according to district administrators, to provide "windows and mirrors" for students. "Mirrors" help LGBTQ students see themselves represented at school and "windows" are intended to give students insight into students that are different from themselves.
TAKEN DOWN
Artman's post is no longer on her Facebook page.
Parents did agree on one thing while commenting on the post: they want all students to feel safe and included at school.
