Nineteen states actively encourage the teaching of gender ideology in public schools, exposing children as young as kindergarten to contested theories about biological sex and identity, according to a commentary published by The Heritage Foundation. The piece, written by two former middle school students who experienced these lessons firsthand in California and New Jersey, argues that schools are prioritizing ideological viewpoints over foundational academic instruction. The central message: children deserve an education rooted in truth and opportunity, not in ideology that questions immutable biological realities.
The Heritage Foundation report describes classroom experiences where 12-year-old students in health classes were asked questions like "At what moment did you know you were a boy or a girl?" and instructed to place themselves on a scale between male and female. In California, the state Department of Education believes kindergartners—typically 5 or 6 years old and still mastering the alphabet—can identify as transgender. In New Jersey, the Transgender Student Guidance for School Districts implements measures that cut certain communications with parents and interfere with the parent-child relationship. During a May 2025 primary debate, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill stated she would "push an LGBTQ education into our schools" and argued that parental opt-out rights should not apply to gender ideology lessons.
The authors write that repeated exposure to gender ideology normalizes contested social theories and encourages children to view their identity through a lens many parents never suspect. According to the commentary, even students from traditionally progressive families often found the exercises confusing or odd, and many seventh-graders had barely heard the term "transgender" before being encouraged to question their biological sex. The report references the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which held that public schools cannot compel elementary school children to participate in gender and sexuality instruction that parents believe undermines their religious beliefs without notice or an opt-out option.
The commentary explains that children are highly impressionable and rely on adults to help them understand the world, making schools responsible for providing a strong academic foundation rather than promoting contested viewpoints. The authors argue that taking away parental authority is the first step in infiltrating young minds, and without parental rights, classrooms will only become more deeply intertwined in what they call "woke culture." At an age when children should focus on subjects like American history and geometry, many are instead provoked to question objective truths. President Trump issued two executive orders shortly after retaking office to combat gender indoctrination, and on April 30, the Department of Justice opened investigations into gender-identity policies in 36 Illinois school districts, revealing the extent to which resistance persists.
The Heritage Foundation commentary notes that on May 20, the House passed the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, which would require parental consent before federally funded schools change a student's gender-related information or accommodations and would prohibit federal funds from being used to teach or promote gender ideology. The bill now awaits consideration in the Senate. Heritage Foundation education policy expert Jonathan Butcher argues the proposal is an important step toward ensuring parents remain informed and involved in decisions affecting their children, though he suggests it could be strengthened by clarifying that protections apply to all minors under 18 and by addressing access to sex-specific accommodations. While Trump's executive orders were a move in the right direction, they can be modified or rescinded by future administrations—passing this bill with added clarifications would help ensure these educational protections are established in federal law, giving children the defense they can't provide for themselves.