If you have school-aged children, odds are they’re back in class by now. Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, or involved in another way, you may be asking What’s happening at my child’s school? In today’s woke culture, it’s a fair question.

No need to wonder any longer! At Family Policy Alliance, we’ve done the research for you in Back to School for Parents. It’s a condensed guide for busy parents about what’s happening in your child’s school, how to identify areas of concern, and how to advocate for your child and your rights.

In the guide you’ll learn about your rights and your child’s rights, gain suggestions about how to respectfully advocate for your child, and access links to additional helpful articles and resources.

Plus, the book is helpfully organized by the area of the school where you want to protect your child, so you can easily spot tips for areas of particular concern. You’ll learn how to protect your child:

• In the classroom
• In school locker rooms and bathrooms
• On sports teams
• In school libraries
• In school health rooms, clinics, and counseling offices
• In student-run clubs
• On school internet and Wi-Fi
• By exercising school choice

And best of all? It’s completely free! Download your guide here today to learn how you can start protecting your child at school.

We can’t wait for you to access this great resource!

Sincerely,

Meridian Baldacci
Director, Strategy

Ordinarily, when we think of loved ones or others that are having suicidal ideations, we would expect the medical community to direct them toward prevention and mental health before it’s too late. In fact, we expect the medical community to do no harm…

But, many states allow trusted medical professionals to offer assisted suicide to patients. And now, that offer is being made at a higher rate towards patients with a certain status, such as  those with disabilities.

In recognition of National Suicide Prevention Week, Family Policy Alliance’s Ruth Ward sat down with Matt Vallière, Executive Director of Patients’ Rights Action Fund and Institute for Patients’ Rights, to break down the alarming truth about assisted suicide in America. Tune in today to learn more about what Christians can do to help.

TUNE IN TODAY on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube
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If you need someone to talk to, our allies at Focus on the Family offer a free phone counseling consultation with a licensed or pastoral counselor. Call 1-855-771-HELP (4357), Monday through Friday, 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM (MT).

At Family Policy Alliance, our vision is a nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is cherished. To stay up to date on the fight to protect families and learn how to take action, follow us on social media!

See you in the comments section!

Emma Rarden
Communications Specialist – Producer

 

P.S. Have you checked out our NEW podcast? We pick the brains of newsmakers and experts to break down what’s happening now on the issues YOU care about. With new episodes weekly, you’ll be up to date on all things that affect your family. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts.

Your daughter confides in you that she feels like she is in the wrong body — that she should have been a boy. Or perhaps if she’s been exposed to gender ideology at school or elsewhere, she believes that she actually is a boy.

How do you respond? As a parent, chances are you’d want your daughter to get real help so she can feel comfortable in her God-given body. Unfortunately, though, activists would prefer that your child start puberty blockers and (depending on her age) cross-sex hormones. They may even advocate for surgeries like a double mastectomy — an operation no child should be subjected to, let alone a child in a perfectly healthy body. 

That’s why at Family Policy Alliance we, along with our state and national partners, have led the charge to protect children from these dangerous interventions and ensure that they have access to real help, not harm.

The national discussion on this topic is heating up. Here are 5 things you need to know about the current debate: 

1. The American Academy of Pediatricians is backpedaling on transition for minors.
   For years, the American Academy of Pediatricians has pedaled gender ideology, including so-called “transition” for minors. But recently, after an article called out the organization in the Wall Street Journal, the Academy published its own reply. While the response stopped far short of abandoning gender ideology, it nonetheless attempted to backpedal its stance on supporting transgender interventions for “the vast majority of children.” While this may likely be more of a political move to save face than a real change of heart, it was an important indicator that supporters of these interventions are being forced to go on defense in the public eye — and that’s a step in the right direction.
    
2. The ACLU is challenging an Arkansas child safety law.
   If you’ve been following this topic in the news, you may know that the ACLU is challenging the Arkansas law that protects children from “transition.” Recently, a federal court ruled against the law — but that’s not the end of the story. The litigation is ongoing. And, the ruling actually looks to allow arguably the most important part of the law to stand — the law that allows minors (or adults who were harmed as minors) to sue the medical professionals who harmed them with hormones and surgeries. That’s good news.Please lift up the law and those defending it in prayer, and pray that more states would pass laws to protect children from this irreversible harm.
    
3. A federal court ruled in favor of counselors.
   One critical means of real help for struggling youth is counseling.

   Sadly, in many places across the country, counseling to help in these situations is legally banned. In these areas (see map below), LGBT activists have convinced leaders that “transition” is the only right answer for a child who feels uncomfortable with their biological sex — even when children want to pursue counseling to help them feel comfortable in their God-given bodies. These so-called “conversion therapy” bans not only prevent struggling youth from getting the help they need, but they also prevent licensed counselors from helping those who are struggling with same-sex attraction and desire change.
   
   Dark green and green stripes represent areas with partial or complete therapy bans as described above. Screenshot from LGBTmap.org.
   
   But there is good news on this front. Our friends at Liberty Counsel recently won a federal court case on behalf of licensed therapists whom they represent. The therapists practice in areas with the type of bans described above. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued injunctions against those laws — and when a lower judge would not comply, the 11th Circuit forced her hand to ensure that these therapists could provide the help their clients want. It’s a critical win for those who want to help people find healing! 

4. Another federal court protected medical professionals.
   And that’s not the only recent win in this area! An Obama-era rule attempted to force physicians to engage in “transition” procedures, even if they had a religious or conscientious objection. But last week, another federal court ruled in favor of a Catholic healthcare system represented by our friends at Becket, a religious freedom-focused legal organization. These medical professionals will not be forced to perform these dangerous interventions, and instead can practice medicine in alignment with their consciences!
    
5. Now is the time to protect children.
   2023 is gearing up to be a year for states to protect children like never before, ensuring that they get help, not harm. And we expect that — just as happened with laws to Save Girls’ Sports — we’ll continue to see more good laws and other actions to protect children. But the first step is electing government leaders willing to take the stand to make it happen. This November, you can use your vote to help put those good leaders in office.

Want to do more to help kids? Consider partnering with Family Policy Alliance. We are fighting to protect children across the nation, so that every child struggling in this area has the opportunity to get help and not harm. We have a critical need to build resources now so that we can help states prohibit dangerous “transitions” performed on minors, save girls’ sports—and ultimately stop the spread of radical gender ideology targeted at children.  You can partner with us here.

Want to learn more about this issue? Watch sessions from our Help Not Harm Summit here! You’ll find information on how to protect your child from the transgender agenda, understand the worldview behind the agenda, take action in your area, and more. 

Thank you for standing with us to protect vulnerable children. 

Sincerely,

Meridian Baldacci
Director, Strategy 

I know it probably doesn’t feel like it, but 2021 has truly been an amazing year of wins—wins that you helped bring about! And we didn’t want to close out 2021 without pausing to thank you, and the Lord, for the incredible momentum in the family policy movement we saw this year.

Thank you for partnering with Family Policy Alliance this year and for making this Top 10 list possible! We are praising God for these 10 wins and invite you to join us!

10. Your voice inspired lawmakers to remove “woke” language from the national defense funding bill.

Our federal lawmakers’ top priority in Washington, D.C. should be the nation’s defense. Instead, this year, some lawmakers tried to take advantage of the all-important defense spending bill to add in “Equality Act” language (elevating the LGBT agenda in the defense bill) and requiring women to register for the draft.

You took action through the Family Policy Alliance action center and made your voice heard—empowering some brave lawmakers to speak out against this radical language. The result? This harmful language was removed from the bill, allowing the defense funding bill to move forward in a much cleaner form!

9. You stopped the radical Left’s push to pack the courts.

In the early days of the Biden Administration, there was a lot of talk about “adding judges” to the courts—basically creating a scenario where the far Left could guarantee a win on their radical policies in court because they pick their own judges. You made it clear that this idea was wildly unpopular among American families, and it has gained no traction—even in the President’s own commission formed to consider such a court-packing proposal.

8. You are forcing lawmakers to take a stand on whether they will protect babies who survive abortions.

Of course, Speaker Nancy Pelosi is blocking a bill that would protect babies who survive botched abortions. So prolife House members initiated a procedural move called a “discharge petition” that would force the bill to come forward for consideration. A record number of lawmakers signed onto this petition this year—thanks to your advocacy calling on them to take a stand for these precious babies fighting for their lives!

7. You made it a rough year for Twitter!

You may recall that Twitter cancelled our friends at Focus on the Family earlier this year, and you helped us rally to their defense. Your voice elevated the issue all the way to Congress and national media. Later, they canceled Statesmen Academy alum and prominent U.S. House member Rep. Jim Banks (IN-03). Focus on the Family’s and Jim Banks’s crimes? Correctly identifying a Biden cabinet pick as a biological male who identifies as a woman.

You raised your voice to help us launch a campaign in support of Focus on the Family and Representative Banks, send a petition to Twitter, and build a coalition to stand against these cancelling policies. Now, Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey has stepped down after a tumultuous year.

6. You set in motion the movement to save our kids from harmful “gender transition” procedures.

Just this year, Statesmen Academy alum Rep. Robin Lundstrum led the nation’s first successful effort to ban harmful and experimental “gender transition” procedures on children in her home state of Arkansas. It was a groundbreaking piece of legislation!

Your support for the Statesmen Academy, your advocacy in Arkansas, and your partnership with Family Policy Alliance and the network of state family policy council allies in standing for the truth that biological sex cannot change made this a win! Now, more states are ready to consider taking the same stand to protect children!

5. You are saving girls’ sports for our daughters and their daughters.

In 2020, you helped make Idaho the first state in the nation to reserve girls’ sports for only biological girls—as a matter of fairness. This year, over 35 states considered the same legislation to save girls’ sports—and a version of that bill is now law in 9 states! Plus, even mainstream media credits the movement to save girls’ sports (that you have made possible) as the reason the dangerous Equality Act is stopped in the U.S. Senate!

4. You stopped a far-Left takeover of elections nationwide!

The far Left made clear that legislation to “redo” elections (and thereby secure policy wins for their agenda) would be a top priority in 2021. Despite relentless attempts to take over elections at the federal level by one political party, these multiple bills have gone nowhere. No matter how many times they tried to bring forward these bills, you continued to engage and raise your voice, calling on them to vote NO every time. You are saving our country’s elections with generational impact!

3. You helped parents and families raise their voices—and change the future in their states.

It’s been a year where parents and families have faced unbelievable indoctrination in their children’s schools. Radical gender theory policies have touched the classroom, locker room, and sports field. Critical race theory has divided children and communities. And parents have been deeply concerned about the impact on their children.

After a number of deeply concerning incidents in Virginia—including sexual assault against a female student in the girls’ bathroom by a male student wearing a dress—parents had had enough. They raised their voices and voted against politicians that believe schools—not parents—should direct children’s education. They flipped control of their state from politicians who discount parents to leaders who pledge to honor the role of parents in their children’s education. It was a stunning win that caught the attention of the nation, especially ahead of the 2022 election.

We also recently learned that the National School Board Association, which has supported these radical curriculum proposals and treated concerned parents as “terrorists,” is at risk of losing millions as their own state chapters withdraw over the controversy.

You are changing the narrative and forcing lawmakers to return to considering parents and families before political agendas!

2. You stopped the #1 priority of the Biden-Harris Administration and the far Left.

The Biden Administration made clear that the Equality Act was their #1 priority for 2021—a “must-accomplish” in the first 100 days. Here we are in the waning days of the year, and the Equality Act has clearly been stopped in the U.S. Senate! Tens of thousands of you took action through the Family Policy Alliance action center calling on lawmakers to stop this bill.

We’ve identified this bill as the most dangerous piece of legislation we’ve seen come out of Congress because it would force the LGBT agenda into homes, schools, doctors’ offices, businesses, and nearly every area of law and life. THANK YOU for making clear to D.C. that this is a nonstarter for American families!

1. Life is winning!

And, for the #1 praise for 2021, at the end of the year and on the eve of the 49^th anniversary of the deadly Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, we stand on the brink of seeing Roe overturned (perhaps even in 2022). This would give all of us in the states more power to protect the lives of babies in the womb than we’ve had in decades!

In addition, Texas passed a strong pro-life “heartbeat” law that, despite being challenged in court, has already saved thousands of lives. And  the Supreme Court allowed it to stay in effect by—despite the ongoing challenges against it by the abortion lobby and the Biden Administration. Life is truly winning in America.

As you and your family head into the Christmas season and wind down your year, we pray you are as encouraged by these wins as we are! And thank you for being an encouragement to us in our ministry! When you take action and raise your voice for family values, standing on biblical truth, you shine brightly—despite any level of darkness around us in our nation.

Thank you for your support and engagement that make these wins possible!

May God bless you and yours,

Craig DeRoche, CEO

A school district in Virginia has been making national news since this summer when a teacher was suspended for refusing to use opposite-sex pronouns to refer to his students. The Loudoun County School District has continued to make headlines over Critical Race Theory debates, passage of a new “transgender and gender fluid student rights policy,”* and more.

Most recently – and most disturbingly –the district is under fire for transferring a male student charged with sexual assault (forcible sodomy) from one high school to another, and attempting to cover up the incident. The boy is accused of rape in both schools. He allegedly assaulted one girl in a classroom and one in the girls’ restroom, where he was allowed to enter under the district’s transgender policy.

While news like this can evoke discouragement and even hopelessness, a group of engaged parents in Loudoun County is giving us all reason to hope.

Fight for Schools is comprised of caring parents who are locking arms and collectively saying “enough is enough” in their school district. They are making waves—and making a difference—as they fight for truth and safety in their schools. One way they are doing so is through recall campaigns for five out of nine school board members. As they pursue accountability in Loudoun County, they’ve also called for the resignation of Superintendent Scott Ziegler. The latest good news is in the form of a resignation: Loudoun County school board member Beth Barts issued her resignation one week ago—and even the liberal media is giving credit to these parents.

If Loudoun County is front and center in the battle for our schools, the backdrop is liberal politicians and political appointees advocating against parental involvement in schools.

A few weeks ago, Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe unbelievably said in a campaign debate, “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach” and then doubled down on his view in media interviews following. The same week, President Biden’s Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona refused to agree with the premise that parents are the primary stakeholders in their children’s education during a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill. If that wasn’t enough, the Biden Administration has taken shocking action to “show parents who’s boss” by directing the FBI to investigate parents who speak up in their local school districts!

These events are disillusioning (to say the least), but they also underscore why the actions of parents – like those who comprise Fight for Schools in Loudoun County – have never been more important.

As a parent myself, I’ve come to realize that it is not enough to complain and despair about the battles being waged against our children in school. If I am not willing to engage, voice my opinion, and advocate for my kids’ safety and for truth taught in our schools, who will?

If you agree but feel uncertain about what to do or how to do it, let me encourage you to download a copy of FPA’s Back to School for Parents guide. I’ll draw your attention to pages 5-9 which explains in simple terms who has educational authority in our schools and how parents can effectively advocate for their children in public schools.

If you are a parent with children in public school, I hope you will consider making your voice heard. We at FPA stand ready and willing to help you do so, and we’re thankful for those of you who partner with us to make resources like the Back to School for Parents guide possible.

For our kids,

Amanda Banks
Vice President, Education

 

 

*According to the Loudoun Times, “Loudoun’s Policy 8040 allows students to use their chosen name and gender pronouns that reflect their consistently asserted gender identity without any substantiating evidence, regardless of the name and gender recorded in the student’s permanent educational record. The policy also allows for access to a number of student activities and facilities such as restrooms and locker rooms. Further, the policy states that all school mental health professionals shall complete training on topics relating to LGBTQ+ students, including procedures for preventing and responding to bullying, harassment and discrimination based on gender identity and expression.”

It’s time to celebrate!

Texas recently passed its “Heartbeat Act,” which prevents abortions for babies with a heartbeat – a law that will save countless lives. The law was set to go into effect yesterday, but abortion activists sought for the Supreme Court to stop that from occurring. Late last night, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that it would NOT halt the law from enforcement. Because of that decision, babies with a heartbeat are protected from abortion across Texas.

Here’s our response:

“It’s a momentous day for human rights and babies in the womb. Because of the Supreme Court’s decision last night, babies throughout the state of Texas will have a chance to taste their first breath. We are grateful for our friends at Texas Values who worked tirelessly to make this day a reality. Now it is time for more states to follow suit. Together, we can end abortion and protect precious lives across the nation.”-Meridian Baldacci

Well done, Texas! It’s a great day to celebrate life!

Joyfully,

Meridian Baldacci
Policy and Communications Strategist

 

 

 

 

In recent years, the far Left has been pushing radical policies in local school districts. This agenda forces girls to share locker rooms with boys, allows boys to steal sports opportunities from girls, and forces children to learn about gender ideology at a young age.

Now, the U.S. Department of Education is working to do the same thing- nationwide.

But you can help STOP THIS.

Similar to a local virtual school board hearing, on June 7-11 the President Biden’s Department of Education will be hosting a public hearing about incorporating “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in national education policies. These policies will force girls to share locker rooms and showers with boys, impact girls’ sports opportunities, and punish those who disagree.

You can weigh in at this “national school board meeting” and tell the Department of Education you STRONGLY OPPOSE ANY CHANGES in their education policies that redefine “sex” to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” Biden’s Education Department has no place attempting to implement this radical agenda into every local school district in the country.

Click here to submit your comment NOW! We’ve provided some comments for you to use, but the more personalized you can make your comments, the better!

Thank you for using your voice to protect children!

You can also sign up to speak for 3 minutes and tell the Department of Education to STOP their implementation of these radical and dangerous policies that violate children’s privacy, steal girls’ sports, and implement radical ideologies in schools.

REGISTER TO SPEAK HERE.

Please note:

• You can only choose 1 topic to speak on (We recommend speaking on “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination in K-12”)
• Registration is still open to be added to the waitlist.
• The Department states, “Even after all slots are filled, we anticipate that a small number of slots may become available prior to or during each day of the hearing as a result of cancellations.  We encourage those who do not register in time to receive a hearing slot to recheck the registration link for slots that become available in this way.”

Don’t want to speak? No worries – simply submit your written comments here to make sure the Department of Education hears your voice!

For our children,

Nicole Hudgens
Government Affairs

While the Wyoming Legislative Session was slowed down by two snow days, it has finally reached the crossover point in the session. Crossover is the time in the middle of the session when the House Bills that passed all the way through the House “cross-over” to the Senate and the Senate Files “cross-over” to the House of Representatives.

Things are moving very fast in the legislature and so I will provide a chart to show where the legislation we are following is in the process. 

Each of these bills has been selected because of the particular impact they can have on life, religious freedom, and family values.

After a milestone like Crossover Day, I want to make sure that our attitudes reflect how God wants us to view things – grateful for the blessings He gave, confident and hopeful in His promises, committed to steadfast walking with Him, giving Him all the glory, not anxious, yet also diligent, strategic, and realistic in our preparations to meet the enormity of the challenges ahead.

We will continue to inform you as things progress.

Nathan Winters
Executive Director