More state / local conflict.
And maybe a bit of separated powers.
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Austin ISD has been hosting Pride Week since 2014, largely without much attention. But earlier this week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ignited a political firestorm by sending the district a letter equating Pride Week festivities with “human sexuality instruction.”
In Texas, parents are required to opt their children in to sex education after being properly notified about the content of the material that’s going to be taught. But the district rejects Paxton’s suggestion that Pride Week needs to go through the same channels.
“This is not about sex education,” district spokesperson Cristina Nguyen said. “This is really a week about inclusion … acceptance and celebrating everyone for who they are and being their authentic self.”
Every school did different kinds of events for Pride Week, Nguyen said. Some elementary schools had students bring in family photos to highlight different family structures. Some older students watched a recent episode of the Netflix show Queer Eye that featured the school district.
