The Trump administration announced Monday that it is taking enforcement action against two public school districts accused of concealing students&#8217; gender identity information from parents, warning the districts could face lawsuits and the loss of federal funding for violating federal privacy law.
The Department of Education said it has partnered with the Justice Department to pursue enforcement against Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland. It also gave Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan until August 10 to explain why similar action should not move forward. 
The investigations center on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which guarantees parents access to their children&#8217;s education records. The Trump administration argues that school policies directing staff to withhold information about a student&#8217;s gender identity or social transition from parents violate those protections.
&#8220;As a mother and a grandmother, it is unconscionable that any school district would hide the most sensitive information about children in their care from their own parents,&#8221; Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/trump-administration-cracks-down-school-districts-secretly-transitioning-students-and-hiding-it-parents">statement</a>. &#8220;This is not only an affront to basic moral principles, but also to parents&#8217; rights under federal law.&#8221;
&#8220;Today, ED and DOJ are putting districts on notice that we will use every tool available to hold them to account for this egregious behavior,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Under the Trump Administration, ED and DOJ are working together to vigorously uphold parents&#8217; federal protections, and we will work to ensure that no parent is ever kept in the dark about important matters relating to their children.&#8221;
According to the Education Department, its Student Privacy Policy Office received complaints from parents in Anne Arundel County who discovered their daughter was being referred to by male pronouns at school. The parents said they learned about the situation only after receiving an email from school staff.
When the parents sought information about what the school described as their child&#8217;s &#8220;gender transition,&#8221; the principal allegedly refused to provide details while an assistant principal declined to turn over relevant records, prompting the federal investigation. The Education Department said Anne Arundel County improperly classified information about a student&#8217;s so-called &#8220;gender identity&#8221; as confidential medical information that could not be shared with parents. The agency said those practices unlawfully prevented parents from exercising their rights under FERPA.
The action comes weeks after the same parents <a href="https://www.thebanner.com/education/k-12-schools/arundel-schools-transgender-children-policies-lawsuit-6BKCHH25O5HP7FLPPGNF7RQFWU/">filed a federal lawsuit</a> against the district with representation from America First Legal, the conservative organization founded by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. The lawsuit claims school officials socially transitioned their daughter by using a masculine name and pronouns without notifying or obtaining consent from her parents. The Education Department said it is working with the Justice Department&#8217;s Civil Rights Division to pursue enforcement against the Maryland district, including potential judicial proceedings and termination of federal funding.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the administration intends to aggressively enforce the law. &#8220;School districts that hide information from parents are violating federal law,&#8221; Dhillon said. &#8220;FERPA is not optional, and any districts that attempt to bypass or distort its requirements should expect immediate federal action.&#8221;
Additionally, the administration found Ann Arbor Public Schools&#8217; policy requiring employees to conceal a student&#8217;s &#8220;transgender status&#8221; from parents likely violates FERPA. Federal officials also questioned the district&#8217;s practice of maintaining records related to a student&#8217;s &#8220;gender identity&#8221; in a separate filing system. 
The Education Department said the cases build on a broader effort by the Trump administration to strengthen parental rights. Earlier this year, the department launched statewide investigations into policies that allegedly concealed students&#8217; &#8220;gender identity&#8221; from parents and issued a finding against the California Department of Education over the use of secret &#8220;gender support plans&#8221; and hidden student records.
In March 2025, the department sent a nationwide <a href="https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/sites/default/files/resource_document/file/Secretary_Comb_SPPO_DCL_Annual%20Notice_0.pdf">letter</a> reminding state education officials that concealing a child&#8217;s &#8220;gender identity&#8221; from parents was a priority enforcement issue under FERPA.
FERPA violations can ultimately result in the loss of federal education funding, though that penalty has historically been used sparingly.

Transgender Symbol and Pencils With The Color of Lgbt Flag

Trump Admin Takes Action Against School Districts Hiding ‘Transgender Status’ From Parents

Civil Rights

Civil Rights Division

Department of Education

Department of Justice

Gender Pronouns

Gender Transition

Harmeet Dhillon

LGBT

LGBTQ

Linda McMahon

Maryland

Michigan

Parental Rights

Parental Rights in Education

Pronouns

Public Schools

trans

trans kids

Transgenders

Transparency

Trump Administration

Students in one of Ohio’s largest school districts cannot be forced to use the preferred pronouns or acknowledge the gender identity of their trans-identifying classmates, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday.
The <a href="https://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/25a0307p-06.pdf">112-page ruling</a> smacks down a policy put into place by the Olentangy Local School District that punished students for discrimination by referring to trans-identifying classmates by their “biological pronouns” or “using gendered language they know is contrary to the other student’s identity.” The district encompasses a suburban area just north of Columbus and is Ohio’s fourth-largest.
The court ruled that the policy raises “serious free-speech concerns.” The case was brought by the advocacy group Parents Defending Education — which now goes by Defending Education. The conservative group argued that the policy was unconstitutional and forced students to adopt speech that went against their religious beliefs. Numerous other conservative and religious groups, including Alliance Defending Freedom and the Manhattan Institute, signed an amicus brief opposing the school district’s policy.
In its ruling, the appeals court said that the school district “introduced no evidence that the use of biological pronouns would disrupt school functions or qualify as harassment under Ohio law.”
“Our society continues to debate whether biological pronouns are appropriate or offensive — just as it continues to debate many other issues surrounding transgender rights. The school district may not skew this debate by forcing one side to change the way it conveys its message or by compelling it to express a different view,” the court added in its ruling.
Defending Education argued that a rule requiring students “to affirm the idea that gender is fluid” would force them to go against their firmly held religious beliefs that “biological sex is immutable and that individuals cannot transition from one sex to another.” It further argued that Olentangy Local School District’s policy on pronouns sought to control students’ speech outside of classroom hours.
After the policy went into effect, a concerned parent of a “devoutly Christian child” emailed the district in 2023, asking about the rule on pronoun use. The school district told the parent, “A student purposefully referring to another student by using gendered language they know is contrary to the other student’s identity would be an example of discrimination under Board Policy.” That email exchange led to the lawsuit filed by Defending Education. The parent who sent the email is part of the conservative organization.
The court was divided in its ruling, with Circuit Judge Jane Stranch arguing that students could completely avoid using third-person pronouns if their faith doesn’t allow them to affirm a gender identity. Stranch wrote in her dissent, “First, while it may be a new phenomenon for many to use new pronouns or to avoid using pronouns, it is certainly possible.” To prove her point, the judge wrote her entire dissent without using “gendered third person pronouns” other than in quotations.
“Second, while there may be a learning curve for young students who, on occasion, might forget and use non-preferred pronouns, the District’s Policies prohibit only the intentional use of non-preferred pronouns,” Stranch added.
The U.S. appeals court decision came on the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court issued a separate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/historical-fact-scotus-allows-trump-admin-to-require-passport-holders-to-mark-biological-sex">ruling</a> on gender and allowed the Trump administration to move forward with plans to require Americans to mark their biological sex on passports. In a 6-3 unsigned opinion, the Supreme Court froze a lower court’s order that stopped the Trump administration from removing the “X” gender option on passports.
“Displaying passport holders’ sex at birth no more offends equal protection principles than displaying their country of birth — in both cases, the Government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment,” the court wrote. “And on this record, respondents have failed to establish that the Government’s choice to display biological sex ‘lack[s] any purpose other than a bare … desire to harm a politically unpopular group.&#8217;”

School District Can’t Force Students To Use Preferred Pronouns Of Trans Classmates, Court Rules

Courts

Ohio

Transgender

U.S.

It is a testament to the rampant wildfire that is political correctness: &#8220;International Non-Binary People&#8217;s Day.&#8221; Yes, that is a thing. Since 2012, this day lands on the “PC calendar” as July 14th. 
As a medical professional, I must point out an obvious, if inconvenient, conflict: Human beings are sexually dimorphic — biologically male or female — with rare genetic or anatomic conditions being an exception (e.g., <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/swyer-syndrome">Swyer Syndrome</a>,<a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22199-androgen-insensitivity-syndrome"> Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome</a>). By elevating subjective feelings on gender above objective sex differences, this day reflects the broader cultural shift that values political correctness over biological facts.
Plus, through this PC lens, girls who are gender-nonconforming are encouraged to identify as non-binary or male; they are told that their personality is incompatible with being female. That is wrong. In an attempt to expand &#8220;inclusion,&#8221; we are slowly erasing womanhood. This is evident most in the propagation of gender-neutral language that has gotten out of hand. 
As a board-certified OB/GYN physician, I am, by definition, a women’s healthcare specialist. Read that again, slowly: women’s healthcare specialist. 
More importantly, I am the father of two intelligent, compassionate, and talented young women. Notice I didn’t say “menstruating people,” “people with a uterus,” or any other fashionable euphemisms. 
And in that pursuit, medicine — the field entrusted with science, truth, and care — is making a critical, potentially devastating mistake: erasing women. 
Gender-neutral language has become trendy in media, education, public policy, and now in medicine. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (<a href="https://www.acog.org/clinical-information/policy-and-position-statements/statements-of-policy/2022/inclusive-language%20Inclusive%20Language%20%7C%20ACOG">ACOG</a>), for example, states it “will move beyond the exclusive use of gendered language and definitions.” The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (<a href="https://www.asrm.org/practice-guidance/practice-committee-documents/inclusive-language-and-environment-to-welcome-lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-queer-questioning-intersex-and-asexual-patients/">ASRM</a>) offers similar guidance.
Ironically, when language avoids or replaces the word “woman,” especially in contexts centered on women’s lived experiences — pregnancy, motherhood, menstruation — it ceases to be inclusive. It becomes erasure.
This is biologically inaccurate, linguistically confusing, and ethically wrong. It must stop.
Terms like “pregnant people,”  “birthing people”, “menstruators,” and “chestfeeders” are billed as inclusive. But they send a quieter, more harmful message: that “woman” is a word too controversial or exclusive to use.
This reframes womanhood as something to dilute in order to accommodate others — when in reality, specificity and inclusion are not mutually exclusive.
This matters not just symbolically, but materially. Women’s health has long been under-researched and underfunded. When language becomes so neutral that it no longer identifies women as the primary subjects of reproductive care, advocacy efforts lose their power.
If it&#8217;s now politically incorrect to say “maternal mortality disproportionately affects Black women,” and we must instead say “birthing people,” we obscure the social and biological realities that demand urgent attention. Precision in language is not exclusion. It is clarity.
Ironically, this expansion of gender-neutral language is profoundly anti-woman. A movement that can’t say the word “woman” cannot fully fight for women. 
Think this is just one disgruntled OB/GYN’s opinion? Think again. 
<a href="https://www.jkrowling.com/opinions/j-k-rowling-writes-about-her-reasons-for-speaking-out-on-sex-and-gender-issues/">J.K. Rowling</a> — a woman and lifelong advocate for women’s rights — was globally vilified for opposing terms like “people who menstruate.” 
And just this month (June 2025), a peer-reviewed paper in Sexual and Reproductive Health warned that “desexed” language is confusing, alienating, and potentially harmful — even to the very populations it intends to help. As those authors write:
<blockquote>Desexed language is likely to have an adverse impact on people with low health literacy and language skills, risk alienation, and cause confusion… It may even cause harm to transgender and gender-diverse people who also need clear health communications.</blockquote>
Similar sentiment has been stated by <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-violence-against-women">Reem Alsalem</a>, a Jordanian independent consultant and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls. Alsalem stated:
<blockquote>Erasing women and women-specific language and needs based on their sex is not only wrong, but also demeaning, regressive and constitutes one of the worst forms of violence that women and girls can experience.</blockquote>
Even the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/%20Defending%20Women%20From%20Gender%20Ideology%20Extremism%20And%20Restoring%20Biological%20Truth%20To%20The%20Federal%20Government%20%E2%80%93%20The%20White%20House">U.S. government</a> recently declared: “It is the policy of the United States to use clear and accurate language that recognizes women are biologically female and men are biologically male.”
Similarly, my home state of Texas recently <a href="https://txvalues.org/breaking-texas-senate-passes-womens-bill-of-rights/">passed legislation</a> that defines man and woman based on biological reality. This is not “anti-trans.” It is pro-woman. Pro-girl. Pro-truth.
Yes, there is fresh momentum on protecting women and women’s rights. This is good news. On July 1, 2025, for example, the <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/lgbtq/5380157-penn-trans-women-sports-upenn-trump-mcmahon-lia-thomas-ncaa-title-ix/">University of Pennsylvania</a> — which was found in violation of Title IX regulations — agreed to restrict trans athletes from participating in women’s sports. That is a win for women’s sports everywhere.
In the effort to include everyone, let’s not lose sight of the people who fought longest and hardest to be heard: women.
Say the word. Use the word. Because avoiding it doesn’t create justice — it creates silence. And silence has never been a friend to women.
* * *
Hector Chapa, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., is a nationally and internationally recognized physician scientist in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is a graduate of UT Southwestern Medical School with specialty training at Parkland Hospital. He is a Board-Certified Obstetrician &amp; Gynecologist and serves as clinical associate professor at Texas A&amp;M College of Medicine in Bryan-College Station, Texas. Since 2016, he has served as the OBGYN Clerkship Director (BCS Campus). In 2018, he became director of interprofessional education.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Hospital Patient Talking with Doctor and Family

Say The Word: Why The Term ‘Woman’ Remains Vital In Women’s Healthcare

Say The Word: Why 'Woman' Still Matters In Women’s Healthcare

Gender

Health Care

Medical

Pregnancy

Women

Author J.K. Rowling announced in a Saturday X post that she may have found the most &#8220;bat-s*** gender identity argument&#8221; yet, noting that the latest gem she&#8217;d come across had brought the Catholic Church into the discussion.
Rowling&#8217;s efforts to stand for women&#8217;s sex-based rights and private spaces have provoked ire from the radical trans activist crowd — they&#8217;ve labeled her a Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF) — and they often target her on social media with the latest arguments aimed at shaming her into agreeing with them.
The attacks are so constant that Rowling doesn&#8217;t often appear to be shocked by them — she even said once that she&#8217;d gotten so many death threats that she could paper her house with them — but she admitted on Saturday that the latest one was new to her.
&#8220;You think you’ve heard the last word in bat-s*** gender identity arguments and then you see a post saying that using the new Pope’s title instead of his birth name is exactly the same as accepting that a man is a woman if he says he is,&#8221; Rowling said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You think you’ve heard the last word in batshit gender identity arguments and then you see a post saying that using the new Pope’s title instead of his birth name is exactly the same as accepting that a man is a woman if he says he is. <a href="https://t.co/vJRSUw29dO">pic.twitter.com/vJRSUw29dO</a>
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1921238199197733149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When the conclave concluded on May 8, and the Vatican announced that Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago would become Pope Leo XIV, X was flooded with activists who complained that Catholics everywhere seemed to have no objection to addressing the pontiff by his new &#8220;chosen&#8221; name, but had a problem with doing the same for those who choose new names or pronouns because they identify as transgender.
A few critics other than Rowling pushed back as well, some of them noting that Prevost had not simply &#8220;self-identified&#8221; as Leo XIV to become the Pope.

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald” UK Premiere – Red Carpet Arrivals

JK Rowling Says She’s Found The Most ‘Bat-S*** Gender Identity’ Argument Yet

JK Rowling Says She's Found The Most 'Bat-S*** Gender Identity' Argument Yet

Gender Identity

gender ideology

JK Rowling

Politics

Pope Leo

Social Issues

The internet is going hard on CNN anchor Anderson Cooper for referring to a woman who prefers “they/them” pronouns as “she.”
The incident took place during a Bernie Sanders town hall event on Wednesday. Cooper introduced Democratic activist Grace Thomas by saying, “She’s a local civil rights attorney. She’s a Democrat.”
That inspired Thomas to reply, “It’s they/them pronouns, actually,” leading Cooper to respond with, “Oh.”
Thomas followed up by asking Cooper why the Democratic party is losing so many young male voters. Social media viewers were quick to suggest that the interaction between the activist and Cooper was a prime example of what’s going on.
“The best part is that right after scolding Anderson Cooper for not calling her ‘they,’ she asks a question about why Democrats are losing men,” one person <a href="https://x.com/evitaduffy_1/status/1910349774290551073">observed</a> on X.
“Anderson Cooper just misgendered a civil rights attorney,” another response <a href="https://x.com/GuntherEagleman/status/1910150077361856554">said</a>. “They are not serious. Keep on putting the pronoun police on camera, we will win every election.”
Former U.S. college swimmer Riley Gaines, who rose to national prominence by taking a stand against men infiltrating women’s sports, reacted by saying, “Calling for Anderson Cooper&#8217;s immediate resignation for believing what his eyes were telling him he saw. Bigot.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Calling for Anderson Cooper&#39;s immediate resignation for believing what his eyes were telling him he saw 
Bigot<a href="https://t.co/GpaZML7irO">pic.twitter.com/GpaZML7irO</a>
&mdash; Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1910175582609867160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
President Donald Trump capitalized on the Democrats’ extreme stance on gender issues while campaigning ahead of the 2024 election. One of his most popular political advertisements included the line, “Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you.”
While many Democrats fully support radical left-wing gender theory, the majority of American voters have taken a much more reserved approach to the issue, and are largely opposed to the most extreme suggestions, such as the idea of providing life-altering drugs and surgeries to children and allowing trans-identifying biological males to compete against women in sports, the Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/26/americans-have-grown-more-supportive-of-restrictions-for-trans-people-in-recent-years/">found</a>. 
Some prominent Democrats are backing off the most extreme stances, including California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), who is a potential presidential candidate in 2028. Newsom <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/profoundly-sickened-everyone-slams-newsoms-attempt-to-play-both-sides-on-trans-issue">told</a> Charlie Kirk during an interview last month that men in women’s sports is “an issue of fairness” that is “easy to call out.” 
Liberals blasted Newsom for backing down on the issue, while conservatives criticized him for trying to play both sides.

Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper Mocked After Getting Corrected By Activist During Town Hall: ‘It’s They/Them’

Anderson Cooper Mocked After Getting Corrected By Activist During Town Hall: 'It's They/Them'

Bernie Sanders

Democrats

President Donald Trump&#8217;s White House has decided to ignore all emails from reporters who include preferred pronouns as part of their email signatures, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated.
“As a matter of policy, we do not respond to reporters with pronouns in their bios,” Leavitt wrote in response to an inquiry from a New York Times reporter.
Leavitt is not the only Trump administration official who has adopted such a stance. According to a New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/08/business/media/white-house-journalists-pronouns.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, Katie Miller — senior adviser for the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project — has also issued a similar statement.
&#8220;As a matter of policy, I don’t respond to people who use pronouns in their signatures as it shows they ignore scientific realities and therefore ignore facts,&#8221; Miller said via email. In another message, she added, &#8220;This applies to all reporters who have pronouns in their signature.&#8221;
Leavitt also doubled down on the policy when The NYT requested a comment, saying via email, &#8220;Any reporter who chooses to put their preferred pronouns in their bio clearly does not care about biological reality or truth and therefore cannot be trusted to write an honest story.&#8221;
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung took a similar tone, telling the outlet, &#8220;If The New York Times spent the same amount of time actually reporting the truth as they do being obsessed with pronouns, maybe they would be a half-decent publication.&#8221;
President Donald Trump and multiple officials have taken a hardline stance on radical gender ideology, declaring early in the administration via <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Executive Order</a> that the United States federal government would only recognize two genders that align with the biological sexes.
The administration has also drawn a hard line on men in women&#8217;s spaces, particularly with regard to high school and collegiate athletics. Following an Executive Order barring males from competing on girls&#8217; and women&#8217;s sports teams, the Trump administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-gives-maine-10-days-to-comply-with-wh-block-males-from-female-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut funding</a> to schools that failed to comply, prompting a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-demands-full-throated-apology-from-maine-gov-after-state-caves-on-womens-sports-fight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy reversal</a> in Maine.
Trump Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated the policy plainly via X, <a href="https://x.com/EDSecMcMahon/status/1909604941850726584">saying</a>, &#8220;To all the entities that continue to allow men to compete in women’s sports and use women’s intimate facilities: there’s a new sheriff in town. The Trump Administration will not allow you to get away with denying women&#8217;s civil rights any longer.&#8221;

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Holds Press Briefing At White House

Trump’s White House Will Not Respond To Reporter Emails That Include Pronouns In Signature

Trump's White House Will Not Respond To Reporter Emails That Include Pronouns In Signature

Karoline Leavitt

Media

Actress Cynthia Erivo, who stars in the musical drama “Wicked” opposite Ariana Grande, just said in a speech at the GLAAD Media Awards that it’s “hard” not being referred to by preferred pronouns.
The 38-year-old British star made the remarks during the event at the Beverly Hilton last week, where she was awarded the Stephen F. Kolzak award, which is <a href="https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/03/28/cynthia-erivo-pronouns-glaad-awards/">given to</a> an “openly queer member of the entertainment or media community for their work toward eliminating homophobia.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Multimillionaire celebrity Cynthia Erivo says her life is hard because we don&#39;t affirm her chosen pronouns (them) <a href="https://t.co/EX6DRluGXo">pic.twitter.com/EX6DRluGXo</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1906373640855207937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;This has been a wild, wild ride and I&#8217;ve been deeply grateful for every second of it,&#8221; Erivo said during her speech. &#8220;More than anything that I have seen and felt, how open-armed my community has been. I have spoken about being your whole self and your true self. I speak about the prizes that come from being you against the odds, but rarely do I acknowledge how hard that can be.&#8221;
&#8220;It isn&#8217;t easy. None of it is,” the Grammy Award winner continued, per <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/03/28/wicked-cynthia-erivo-glaad-media-awards-2025-speech/82701846007/">USA Today</a>. “Waking up and choosing to be yourself, proclaiming a space belongs to you when you don&#8217;t feel welcomed, teaching people on a daily basis how to address you and dealing with the frustration of re-teaching people a word that has been in the human vocabulary since the dawn of time.&#8221; 
&#8220;They, them. Words used to describe pedantically two or more people, (and) poetically a person who is simply more,&#8221; Erivo said.
She continued, &#8220;It isn&#8217;t easy to ask people to treat you with dignity, since you should just have it, because it&#8217;s a given. It isn&#8217;t easy to learn to grow who you are if the world around you is knocking at your door, telling you to stay inside. Some flowers bloom against all the odds, like the peony, but most flowers need to be tended to and cared for before they brave the light and open up their petals to the sun.&#8221;
&#8220;Here in this room, we&#8217;ve all been the recipients of a gift that is the opportunity to be more. I doubt that it has come easy to any of us, but more for some, the road has not been one paved with yellow bricks but instead paved with bumps and potholes − whichever road you have traveled, how beautiful it is that you&#8217;ve had a road to travel on at all. There are the invisible ones who have had no road at all.&#8221;
&#8220;We are all visible,&#8221; she concluded. &#8220;We can be seen… I ask every single one of you in this room, with the spaces that you&#8217;re in and the lights that you hold, to point it in the direction of someone who just needs a little guidance.&#8221;
Erivo faced significant backlash for her complaints and for saying anyone who uses neopronouns, which are usually gender-neutral or &#8220;nonbinary,&#8221; is “more.”

Cynthia Erivo

‘Wicked’ Star Cynthia Erivo: It’s ‘Not Easy’ When People Don’t Use ‘They/Them’ Pronouns

'Wicked' Star Cynthia Erivo Complains It's 'Not Easy' When People Don't Use 'They/Them' Pronouns

Celebrities

Entertainment

GLAAD

A major court has ruled that parents don’t have the right to know that their child is changing genders while at school.
The <a href="https://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/sites/ca1/files/opnfiles/23-1069P-01A.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opinion</a>, from the First Circuit Court of Appeals, determined that it does not violate parental rights for a school to transition a child without the parents’ knowledge.
“[P]arental rights are not unlimited,” the court ruled. “Parents may not invoke the Due Process Clause to create a preferred educational experience for their child in public school.”
“As per our understanding of Supreme Court precedent, our pluralistic society assigns those curricular and administrative decisions to the expertise of school officials, charged with the responsibility of educating children,” the court continued. “And the Protocol of nondisclosure as to a student&#8217;s at-school gender expression without the student&#8217;s consent does not restrict parental rights in a way courts have recognized as a violation of the guarantees of substantive due process.”
The decision comes from a case in Massachusetts, where in 2020 a Baird Middle School student referred to in court documents as B.F. began questioning her identity after she received “unsolicited LGBTQ-themed video suggestions” on her school-issued computer. The student, in sixth grade at the time, was given an assignment along with her fellow students to create biographic videos about themselves and to include their pronouns in those videos.
It is unknown how B.F. referred to herself in the assignment, but in the following months, she began receiving the “unsolicited LGBTQ-themed video suggestions” and started questioning whether she &#8220;might be attracted to girls&#8221; and if she had gender identity issues, according to court documents.
By December 2020, B.F. told her teacher that she was “depressed and struggling with insecurity, low self-esteem, poor self-image, and a perceived lack of popularity.” The teacher told B.F.’s parents, Marissa Silvestri and Stephen Foote, what their daughter had said, and the parents agreed to get her the help she needed.
But on February 28, 2021, B.F. announced to her teacher and other school officials that she was “genderqueer” and would use her preferred pronouns and go by a new name. B.F. told school officials that she hadn’t explained this all to her parents yet and asked that she be referred to by her birth name and proper pronouns when discussing things with her parents. Teachers immediately switched to the new name and pronouns, and the school librarian started meeting with the student to talk to her about gender identity and to give her “LGBTQ-related resources,” according to court documents. The school counselor also told the girl she could use whichever bathroom she wanted at the school.
At the same time, B.F.’s 12-year-old sibling also suddenly decided to start using a different name and pronouns.
The parents learned in early March 2021 – just days after B.F.’s declaration – learned about her new name and pronouns from her teacher. The parents spoke with the school principal and superintendent to express concern that school officials had ignored their request not to engage with their child “regarding mental health issues.” When the parents eventually sued the school and its officials, they argued that transitioning the child at school amounted to mental health treatment because social transitioning is &#8220;recognized as a medical/mental health treatment for children with gender dysphoria.&#8221;
Educators at Baird ignored the parents and continued to refer to B.F. by her new name and pronouns. The school counselor also contacted the student through text messages and online chat to keep encouraging B.F. to discuss any gender-related concerns on a weekly basis. At one point, the counselor asked B.F. if her parents were providing her “with appropriate care.” The counselor also asked if B.F. felt comfortable discussing these issues with the counselor her parents were paying for.
When the parents sued, the school district moved to dismiss the case, and the case eventually moved forward to the First Circuit, which ruled the parents had no right to know that the school was transitioning their child behind their back.
The First Circuit’s ruling is filled with biased language, using “they/them” pronouns for B.F. because is it allegedly “gender neutral.”
As Frederick Claybrook, Jr., <a href="https://fedsoc.org/commentary/fedsoc-blog/wrong-foote-forward-first-circuit-tramples-parental-rights">noted in an article</a> for The Federalist Society — an organization that supports limited government — this is the first time a federal court of appeals has waded into parental rights when it comes to transgender issues. Until now, Claybrook states, the courts &#8220;have dodged&#8221; the issue as it relates to parental rights.
“When district courts have ruled in favor of parents, for example in a <a href="https://adflegal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Ricard-v-475-Geary-County-Schools-2022-05-09-Memorandum-and-Order.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">District of Kansas case</a> and in a <a href="https://casetext.com/case/mirabelli-v-olson">Southern District of California case</a>, the school districts have not appealed,” Claybrook writes. “When parents have lost, for example in <a href="https://casetext.com/case/parents-v-montgomery-cnty-bd-of-educ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parents v. Montgomery County Board of Education</a>, they have proceeded to circuit court, but those courts to date have dodged addressing the merits.”
The Fourth and Seventh Circuits, Claybrook noted, have both ruled that parents don’t have a standing to complain schools were keeping things secret from them because they didn’t know for sure the schools were keeping things secret from them. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, who dissented from denial of certiorari in the Seventh Circuit, said that the school’s existing policy meant parents weren’t speculating about anything, and suggested circuit courts were avoiding the merits of the cases.
Jonathan Turley, a renowned law professor, <a href="https://x.com/JonathanTurley/status/1894444445656899712" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> about the First Circuit case on X, writing that there “is no more cherished right that citizens possess than raising their children.”
“Indeed, the right to raise one&#8217;s children according to your own faith and values is the touchstone of freedom,” Turley continued. “Conversely, the subordination of such rights is the harbinger of state tyranny. True pluralism allows families with different norms and values to thrive. Public schools are effectively demanding that parents give up their rights to critical aspects of rearing their children as a condition for public education. It is a virtual slogan for school choice.”

John Joseph Moakley Courthouse – Seaport District – South Boston – Boston Massachusetts

Major Court Rules Parents Have No Right To Know A School Is Transitioning Their Child

Children

Court

Education

Massachusetts

Parenting

Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has removed his preferred pronouns from his X bio after placing them there in 2019.
“Dear @PeteButtigieg, why did you remove your pronouns?” professor-author Gad Saad asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteButtigieg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeteButtigieg</a>, why did you remove your pronouns? <a href="https://t.co/A0hhwdezld">https://t.co/A0hhwdezld</a>
&mdash; Gad Saad (@GadSaad) <a href="https://twitter.com/GadSaad/status/1885169222344470983?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Because he&#8217;s now a ‘was/were,” one X user <a href="https://x.com/EarlyGates/status/1885184363689550246">quipped</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Buttigieg added his gender pronouns to his bio in 2019. <a href="https://t.co/lyRESzb4Ro">pic.twitter.com/lyRESzb4Ro</a>
&mdash; Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) <a href="https://twitter.com/SwipeWright/status/1885159927271821794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Chasten Buttigieg, Pete&#8217;s husband, has also removed the pronouns from his X bio.
Times have apparently changed; in 2021, as Pride Month got underway, Chasten Buttigieg spoke of using the “wrong pronoun,&#8221; telling <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chasten-buttigieg-interview-cbsn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>, “Acknowledge that you&#8217;re going to mess up. Messing up is uncomfortable. We don&#8217;t want to mess up, especially if you consider yourself an ally. Some of these things are new. We live in a very heteronormative society, so of course pronouns are going to seem a little off-putting to someone who&#8217;s only done it a certain way for 50, 60, 70 years. But it&#8217;s a very, very simple thing to do to help somebody feel included.”
He added: &#8220;I have messed up. The most important thing to do is when you mess up, apologize, quickly restate the proper pronouns and move on from there. Always ask questions. If you consider yourself an ally, just ask questions. How can I be supportive? How can I be more helpful? How can I make sure that you know this is a safe space where you belong?&#8221;
Literally hours after former President Joe Biden was inaugurated, the White House website permitted users to choose their pronouns.
“As part of the website revamp that occurs during presidential transitions, the White House changed its contact form,” WBTV<a href="https://www.wbtv.com/2021/01/21/biden-administration-allows-users-choose-their-pronouns-remastered-website/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> reported</a>. “The form now allows individuals to select from the following list: she/her, he/him, they/them, other, or prefer not to share. Those who select other also have the option to write-in what pronouns they use. People can also choose which prefix they use: Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., Mx., other, or none.”
By October 2019, during the Democratic presidential primary, six of the presidential candidates had<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90404480/6-of-the-2020-democrats-now-list-their-pronouns-in-their-twitter-bios" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> inserted</a> their “preferred personal pronouns” in their social media bios: Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Julián Castro, Cory Booker, and Tom Steyer.

Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg Holds Grassroots Fundraiser In Miami

Times Are Changing: Buttigieg Removes Preferred Pronouns From His Bio

Pete Buttigieg

Woke Culture

Wokeness

A transgender teachers network is urging schools across the country to adopt “hate speech” policies to crack down on so-called “homophobic and transphobic language” from both students and adults, according to a document obtained by The Daily Wire.
The Trans Educators Network distributed a guide earlier this month urging schools to pay for teachers’ sex change procedures, implement hate speech policies, and eliminate sex-segregated facilities. The guide, compiled in January, was shared with The Daily Wire by Parents Defending Education, an organization pushing to get gender and racial ideologies out of the classroom.
“Currently, LGBTQ+ educators are facing increasing levels of intimidation and hostility across the country,” the guide says, claiming that some of the pressure was coming from parents’ organizations, linking to Parents Defending Education. “We prepared this guide to highlight the needs of LGBTQ+ employees and help our schools assess their systems of support and protection for us.”
<div id="attachment_867757" style="width: 2651px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-867757" class="size-full wp-image-867757" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.13.26-AM.png" alt="" width="2641" height="1286" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.13.26-AM.png 2641w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.13.26-AM-300x146.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.13.26-AM-1024x499.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.13.26-AM-768x374.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.13.26-AM-1536x748.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.13.26-AM-2048x997.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2641px) 100vw, 2641px" />School recommendation guide.</div>
The guide urges schools to create speech codes for alleged “transphobic language.” 
“Create a policy regarding hate speech that includes homophobic and transphobic language and covers both students and adults. Include persistent, intentional failure to use proper names, honorifics, and pronouns in policy. Make it clear how employees should report violations,” the guide says. 
The network did not respond to a request for comment on more details about what their recommended hate speech policy would encompass. Teachers across the country have been awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars after conflicts with their schools about preferred pronoun usage. 
The group also recommends schools offer health care plans “that will cover the full range of gender-affirming care,” and “fertility preservation and IVF coverage that is not limited to treatment for infertility.” The guide said that schools should work to avoid sending LGBT teachers on work trips to “locations with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.”
<div id="attachment_867761" style="width: 2637px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-867761" class="size-full wp-image-867761" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.12.52-AM.png" alt="" width="2627" height="1265" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.12.52-AM.png 2627w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.12.52-AM-300x144.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.12.52-AM-1024x493.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.12.52-AM-768x370.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.12.52-AM-1536x740.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-29-at-9.12.52-AM-2048x986.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2627px) 100vw, 2627px" />Recommendations from the guide.</div>
The guide also says that schools should offer “gender neutral” bathrooms and “allow community members to self-identify when using gender-exclusive facilities (restrooms, locker rooms, dorms, etc.).”
The Trump administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-trump-admin-investigating-denver-high-school-over-all-gender-bathroom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Tuesday that it was investigating a school district in Colorado after one high school converted a previously female bathroom to an “all gender” facility. 
According to the network, teachers across the country are being “limited by restrictive legislation,” and “school censorship laws.” This refers to legislation passed in Republican-led states to prohibit teachers from forcing young children to learn about gender ideology and sexuality. 
Parents Defending Education Director of Outreach Erika Sanzi told The Daily Wire that these kinds of laws were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-majority-of-american-parents-oppose-teaching-kids-transgender-ideology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broadly supported</a> by parents across the country. 
&#8220;Not wanting sexual orientation and gender to be a school&#8217;s priority — or even part of the curriculum — is not an attack or an attempt to intimidate. It is a reasonable position held by a majority of parents across the country,” she said. “These LGBTQ activist groups think they are entitled to a captive audience of other people&#8217;s children during the school day. They are not. If they don&#8217;t like negative feedback for their insistence on tinkering in the minds of young children, perhaps they should stop doing that.&#8221;
Trump is expected on Wednesday to sign an executive order that will block federal funding from going to schools that promote radical gender theory or critical race theory.

EXCLUSIVE: Activist Teacher Network Urges Schools To Ban ‘Transphobic’ Language

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> judge has ordered that inmate Tremaine Carroll must be referred to by &#8220;she/her&#8221; pronouns because he has declared himself to be a woman and &#8220;deserves dignity.&#8221;
Carroll is on trial for allegedly impregnating one female inmate and raping two others after he claimed to be a woman — which, according to California law, requires him to be housed in a women&#8217;s prison despite having no psychological or medical evaluations to back up his claim — and a Madera County judge has now ordered everyone, including his alleged victims, to accommodate his pronoun choice.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
INSANITY: California judge rules a man who allegedly raped women in prison must be referred to as ‘she/her’ during trial because he &#39;deserves dignity&#39; <a href="https://t.co/lISInd1xc4">pic.twitter.com/lISInd1xc4</a>
&mdash; Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1871290505797292539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Madera District Attorney Sally Moreno charged Carroll with rape, which he allegedly committed while he was incarcerated at Central California Women&#8217;s Facility in Chowchilla — where he was placed based solely on his self-identification as a woman.
&#8220;After his first cellmate became pregnant and was moved to Los Angeles, two other cellmates of his had complained that he had raped them, so we have filed rape charges against this inmate,&#8221; Moreno said.
She went on to explain that Carroll&#8217;s self-identification was not just an insult to his alleged victims, but it also complicated the case against him regarding the alleged rapes: &#8220;This is a particular issue in this case because it&#8217;s confusing to the jury. In California, rape is a crime that has to be accomplished by a man.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
Moreno is not the only one raising red flags over this case either.
&#8220;It&#8217;s just absolutely insane that a victim would have to get on the stand and police their pronoun usage when trying to recite one of the scariest times of their lives,&#8221; Supervising Deputy District Attorney Eric Dutemple explained that it was an added measure of cruelty to Carroll&#8217;s alleged victims to force them to accommodate his pronoun preferences while testifying in a case where Carroll had used his identity to gain access to them.

US-NEWS-CALIF-PRISONGUARD-LAWSUITS-FR

California Judge Says Rapist Deserves ‘Dignity,’ Must Be Called By Preferred Pronouns

California Judge Says Rapist Deserves 'Dignity,' Must Be Called By Preferred Pronouns

California

Crime

Rape

Violent Crime

Kamala Harris&#8217; campaign allows potential hires to select from a litany of pronouns, including some that refer to people who believe they are &#8220;non-binary&#8221; or are supposedly “without” a gender.
A job <a href="https://jobs.lever.co/BFP/7c8d8bd8-59c2-4261-8381-e97d883d2bc8/apply">application</a> on the campaign website allows those seeking employment to choose from nine sets of gender pronouns total, including seven sets that deviate from the usual “he/him” and “she/her.” They are sometimes referred to as “<a href="https://www.them.us/story/gender-neutral-pronouns-101-they-them-xe-xem">neopronouns.</a>”
Applicants who identify as nonbinary or even claim to be &#8220;agender&#8221; can select neutral pronoun sets like “they/them,” or the shortened version, “ey/em,” or “xe/xem” or “ze/hir.”    Other options include &#8220;hir/hir,&#8221; and a shortened version of the word &#8220;human,&#8221; which is &#8220;hu/hu.&#8221;  And there is &#8220;fae/faer,&#8221; which appears to be used by people who <a href="https://everypronoun.tumblr.com/post/634779894881173504/about-faefaer-pronouns-coming-from-someone">consider themselves to be fairies</a> or practice Wicca. Others have said that the use of the pronouns may constitute <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/gendercensus/643657043304153088/on-faefaer-pronouns-and-cultural-appropriation">cultural appropriation</a>.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
An “optional diversity survey” asks applicants for their preferred pronouns, race, ethnicity, gender identity, and whether they &#8220;identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
The Kamala Harris campaign’s apparent focus on DEI continues from the Biden-Harris administration&#8217;s emphasis on its implementation in the federal government.
One guide from a federal agency on “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-federal-guide-on-inclusive-language-tells-bureaucrats-to-ditch-gendered-terms-like-son-daughter">inclusive language</a>” obtained by The Daily Wire instructs bureaucrats to ditch gendered language like “son” and “daughter” while also using “they/them” as the default pronouns for their colleagues in order to avoid so-called “misgendering.”
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR &#8216;AM I RACIST?&#8217; — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
The administration has even worked to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-the-biden-admin-enables-government-employees-to-change-genders">encourage gender transition attempts</a> for federal employees, telling those who refer to their colleagues by biologically accurate pronouns that they could be engaging in discrimination and contributing to an &#8220;unlawful hostile work environment.&#8221;
Gender pronouns are being pushed at every level of government. The New York City Department of Social Services considers their use a vital step &#8220;in becoming a TGNC (Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming) ally.&#8221;
&#8220;If your gender pronoun is something that never matters to you or that you rarely think about, then you may have pronoun privilege,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/assets/hra/downloads/pdf/services/lgbtqi/Gender%20Pronouns%20final%20draft%2010.23.17.pdf">according</a> to the department.
&nbsp;

Kamala Harris LGBT

Want A Job With Kamala? You’ve Got 9 Pronoun Choices, Including ‘Hu/Hu’ And ‘Fae/Faer’

2024 Election

Kamala Harris

nonbinary

Menu