'Propaganda' vs 'bullying': Groups of parents clash at anti-LGBTQ protest outside Los Angeles school

In the United States Los Angeles, over a hundred anti-LGBT protesters and pro-LGBT counter-protesters clashed on a typically quiet suburban street on Friday. The trigger behind this was a Pride Month event being held at Saticoy Elementary School, which drew contrasting views from the two groups. 

As per BBC, a group of parents initiated a boycott of the school, denouncing the Pride event as "indoctrination" and unsuitable for children. Those on the other side of the protest argued that the demonstration was discriminatory and emphasised that children have the right to learn about the different types of families.

Same-sex marriage and America

Although gay marriage has gained widespread acceptance — according to opinion pollster Gallup — including among most Republicans, the teaching of gender and sexuality in schools has recently faced a conservative-led backlash. 

Saticoy Elementary, situated in a progressive city within one of America's most liberal states, has become the latest battleground in this cultural conflict.

What happened at the protest?

As the situation escalated and a scuffle broke out among the protesters, police had to intervene. One individual sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene, according to the Los Angeles School Police Department, but no arrests have been made.

When contacted, a school employee confirmed that Saticoy Elementary had planned to read a book to students that discussed families with "two mommies and two daddies," although further details about the event were not provided.

An event to bully the LGBTQ community?

Renato Lira, the director of the San Fernando Valley LGBTQ Center, participated in the school assembly and reported that the children enjoyed the event. Talking to BBC, he explained that educators read from a book that highlighted families from different cultures, including those with same-sex parents. Lira emphasized that the purpose of the event was to demonstrate love, respect, and unity, characterising the protesting parents as "trying to bully us."

The boycott of the school's Pride event on June 2 as per BBC, was organized online over the preceding two weeks by an anonymous Instagram account with the username @saticoyelementaryparents. 

This account urged parents to keep their children home from school on that day. 

Prior to the rally, the Instagram account posted that their "protest is in no way an attack on the LGBTQ community". 

However, critics found many of the signs displayed by demonstrators, such as "No sexual indoctrination!" and "The only people who want to teach kids sex: Pedophiles," to be discriminatory.

On the opposite side of the street, counter-protesters waved Pride and transgender flags, declaring their celebration of Pride through a bullhorn and via signs like "Hate has no home here." 

Propaganda and parent's consent

Opponents of the Pride event, however, argued that teaching children about LGBT issues was inappropriate and asserted that schools should obtain parental consent before discussing such matters in the classroom. 

Watch a video of the scuffle here:

One parent, who spoke anonymously to the Los Angeles Times due to concerns about potential bullying toward her child, expressed exhaustion with what she referred to as "propaganda." She stated that she came to the United States from Armenia seeking freedom and an education focused on math and academics, rather than discussions about LGBT topics. 

Earlier, on May 22, as per a report in the Los Angeles Times, a pride flag belonging to a transgender teacher at Saticoy Elementary School was burned after a conservative-leaning parents' rights Instagram account shared alleged pre-and-post-transition photos of the teacher. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) according to Officer Tony Im, is investigating the flag-burning as a hate crime. However, the officer refrained from providing further details, citing an ongoing investigation.

(With inputs from agencies)

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