Whether it's explicit books, child drag shows or preferred pronouns, the sexualization of children is one of the "biggest things" facing the nation, including Alabama, according to State Rep. Mack Butler (R-Rainbow City).
Butler recently joined "1819 News: The Podcast" to discuss his legislative efforts to protect children in school while providing a quality, age-appropriate education.
"One of the biggest things is the sexualization of our children. And just recently, we had almost 40,000 students sign up for the Choose Act. That tells you there is such a dissatisfaction with what we're doing in public education," Butler said.
"So, you know, when I get attacked for having bills like the Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Bill, I'm pointing out, that's a pro-public education [bill] trying to help it get that garbage out of there, so the parents won't have to worry about everything because so many people now are choosing an alternate route of what most of us did from traditional public education," he continued. "But if we can purge out this insanity that we're doing, they talk about affirming care. It's compassionate to tell people the truth. You can never be a woman. You know, a woman's never going to have prostate cancer."
"These are truths that need to be shared with people," Butler added. "I'm all for you being whatever you want to be as an adult, but I do not have to pretend along with whatever you're doing. But we just need some common sense, and adults have always made decisions for children. But we've got to stop this. It is ludicrous."
Butler said critics have raised concerns about free speech with his bill, House Bill 244, fearing it could prevent students from talking to teachers.
"We're trying to take existing legislation that goes from K-5 that prohibits classroom discussion and or instruction on gender identity or sexual orientation. We're trying to expand that to align with President Trump's executive order to go pre-K-12 that would prohibit the discussion, classroom discussion on gender identity and sexual orientation," he said.
"Some people have lost their mind over this issue, and they think, well, a kid can't go talk to their teacher. When a child enters a school, they carry with them their First Amendment rights, and they most certainly can go talk to the teacher, the counselor, the nurse or whoever about whatever they want to talk about. It's just the classroom instruction and discussion is what would be prohibited from this. We're also removing like pride flags from the classroom as well."
"I've received pictures of some teachers that have put those all over the state, different areas. I know they think they're being inclusive, but they've actually offended a lot of people by putting those up. A lot of students and a lot of parents — look again at the almost 40,000 applicants for the CHOOSE Act. There is a dissatisfaction there. And there's just an intentional sexualization of children. And if you look at some of this stuff that's for children, I would be embarrassed to show it to you," Butler said.
Butler said churches also needed to join the political fight against woke ideology.
"Public school literally began in the church. The first teachers were the pastors. They were the most educated person in every community," he explained. "The term 'Sunday school' comes from school being taught at church on Sunday. The first textbook was the Holy Bible… The church has got to get involved and get back into the battle. And I'm talking about the political battle."
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