I know I am taking a risk even writing this letter, but someone has to do it. Maybe if more parents spoke honestly about what we believe, not fearing the consequences, we would not be inundated with moral values in opposition to our own.

At Redmond Middle School on Nov. 15, 2016, the morning announcements were read just like every other day, except for one thing. It mentioned the first ever meeting for a LGBTQ+ Club. This announcement was read every day for the rest of the week. As the student announcers mentioned this meeting over the school’s loud speaker, they read the full words that the LGBTQ+ acronym represents: Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Trans-sexual, Queer, “+”. They indicated this meeting would be after school on Fridays and gave the location.

I believe it is inappropriate to offer or promote this type of club to our middle school students who are experiencing many physical as well as emotional and developmental changes. This stage of human development, referred to as adolescence and puberty, is regarded by psychologists as a time when “children are separating from the shelter of childhood and parental influence and, oftentimes, are turning to their peers as they search to figure out who they are.” Middle school-aged children often experience feelings of physical awkwardness or unattractiveness as they navigate different social situations while trying to find peers to fit in with. As a result, they are especially vulnerable to influences that promote alternative lifestyles and, for people like me, these alternative moral values should not be offered to children in this stage of life.

If a girl has been rejected or hurt by a boy she likes, or vice versa, and she/he decides to check-out the LGBTQ+ Club (even if simply out of curiosity), the nature of this club could give the girl or boy the idea to consider lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, trans-sexual and queer relationships simply because the club exists on school grounds. The LGBTQ+ announcements and posters put an idea in their heads combined with the easy access to go to the club because it’s held in a classroom after school is providing a scenario that parents need to be made aware of.

Although our culture is currently promoting these alternative lifestyles, it doesn’t mean the parents of the children in middle school want the lifestyles promoted at school. The question is: do the parents of middle school-age children, who wish to raise their children with moral values, really want their kids to associate LGBTQ+ choices as “normal” lifestyles, just because they have been exposed to a LGBTQ+ club while in middle school? When in reality, these alternative lifestyles are “far and few” between yet they are frequently given attention as if they are what the norm is in society. I do not believe a LGBTQ+ club is an appropriate offering at a middle school. Children of this age are experiencing so many changes emotionally and physically that a LGBTQ+ club can only raise more questions and promote more uncertainties regarding personal identities. Adolescence and puberty is not the time and school grounds are not the place for children to be exposed to alternative lifestyles, especially without parental knowledge.

I know it may seem old fashioned or ultra-conservative to have these beliefs, but I am simply a parent who does not think it is appropriate for our children to be exposed to these kinds of alternative lifestyles during their formative years. We have been told to “tolerate” these lifestyles even if they are not shared by us. Fine, I will tolerate. But I draw the line at exposing my children to things that I believe are not morally right for me or them. What people do in their own lives is their business, but when they begin to promote their lifestyle, a lifestyle that I believe is immoral (and teach my children so) it is a personal affront to my rights and the rights of my children.

Please, parents, I know there are more of you like me out there. Please raise your voices to stop these activities that can potentially do innocent children great harm.

A concerned parent,

Barbara Hajny

Redmond