Moms for Liberty presentation packs Winters Library
There was standing room only in the Margaret Parsons Room at the Winters Community Library on Saturday, where residents from Winters and across Yolo County gathered for a parent advocacy workshop on gender ideology.
A little more than 80 people — a mix of those who wanted to hear what was said and others who attended to protest the presence of the Yolo County chapter of Moms for Liberty — packed into the room leaving the standing room along the walls filled. About a third of the group in attendance were Winters residents representing each side of the topic at hand, while the rest of the attendees were protesters from across Yolo County.
Posts rallying protesters to attend encouraged them to join in silent protest or to turn their chairs around and occupy their focus during the workshop. Many of them united the cause with signs supporting people who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and some specifically to show their support for children who identified as part of it.
Yolo County Moms for Liberty chair Beth Bourne opened the workshop by stating that their goal is to protect parental rights at all levels of government by educating them about what those rights are and how and who to reach out to within their community. Additional speakers on the agenda included Meg Madden, an area advocate, and Amy Anderson, of Sac-Terf Central, who spoke about preserving and protecting the rights of women, girls and their families.
Workshop topics
The workshop event, sponsored by Mom for Liberty Yolo County, was advertised on social media platforms to address gender identity and social transitioning-related policies and practices within Winters Joint Unified School District school sites, as well as books focusing on gender and LGBTQIA+ topics available at the libraries of schools and Yolo County.
Although a majority of Bourne’s presentation portions focused on her personal experiences and observations detailing gender ideology policies and curriculum within the Davis Joint Unified School District and other examples from other states, she eventually addressed how Winters JUSD’s compliance with California state policies through the Student Support Services LGBTQIA+ page, the family and staff resources page and the Rights of Transgender Students FAQs page on the school district website. She also included information about specific questions on Winters JUSD’s California Healthy Kids and Youth Truth surveys, the Health Connected Puberty Talk and Health class curriculums, and a breakdown of student clubs listed on the Winters High School website.
he also encouraged parents to opt their children out of participating in surveys and programs they did not agree with, to contact schools to request to sit in on classes and to have conversations with school district trustees or make public comments about their concerns.
Bourne and Madden discussed LGBTQIA+-related services provided by CommuniCare Health, state legislation regarding gender diversity on bathroom signs and how the CIF gender diversity policies and guidelines have created a loss of fair and safe sports for girls and unfair competition in general sports.
Madden also addressed social and medical transitions, trans-identifying students in classrooms, and encouraged families with concerns to speak up and start conversations within the community.
“Talk to your friends. Engage on social media and in person. When you are ready, give (a) comment at public meetings. Call political representatives and ask them to meet with you. They are there to serve you,” Madden said.
Anderson also encouraged people to speak up to start a conversation and begin research on the topic of “gender ideology.”
“The best thing you can do right now is to educate yourself,” Anderson said.
Community comments
Multiple people from Winters — mostly educators and parents in Winters JUSD — stood to speak during the public comment section to round out the event. Although there were opposing ideas, a main theme from all of them was the ask to allow Winters residents to have an open conversation between Winters residents, for residents to put in the time to do their own research on the facts surrounding their concerns, and to come to the conversation with respect for each other’s perspectives.