Parents in Washington Pulled Their Kids From School Over A Video About LGBTQ+ People Simply Existing

This story originally appeared on The Advocate.Parents in Washington state have pulled their children out of school after learning that a teacher showed students a video about Pride Month. It’s the latest indication that some opponents of LGBTQ+ topics in schools object not simply to sexual content, but to virtually any representation of queer people.Maria Varchetto told Washington radio station KVI-AM that her child came home distressed after watching a video about Pride Month.“Parents have the right to know what was taught to their kids. Whether or not you agree with it or disagree is irrelevant,” she said. “You don’t get to teach and go rogue on subjects that are this controversial without providing parents a notice to opt out.”The video in question: “Why is PRIDE in June?!?”Related: For some parents of trans kids, leaving America no longer feels unthinkableThe video was first published in 2017 on the Queer Kid Stuff channel, where host Lindz Amer discusses the origins of the gay rights movement and the history of civil rights activism. In the age-appropriate video, Amer speaks with a stuffed bear and recounts that Pride Month dates back to 1969. An animated segment depicts Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera standing up for queer rights during the Stonewall uprising in New York City.The video notably doesn’t call the famous protest a riot or delve into a debate about civil disobedience. It also never discusses sex. It does describe the nature of activism, including through education. “Just watching and learning from Queer Kid Stuff makes you an activist too,” Amer says in the video.But Varchetto said her 9-year-old returned home with what she considered an alarming takeaway: that the video said the child could identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, transgender, nonbinary or Two-Spirit.“I need parents to be informed of this,” she told the radio station. “Parents have the right to know what was taught to their kids. Whether or not