10 Percent of Windermere Ranch Students Allegedly Boycotting LGBT Acceptance Week

SAN RAMON, CA- Ten percent of San Ramon middle school students are refusing to attend lessons on LGBTQ Acceptance Week, following an online uproar lead by a group of parents petitioning to block the school’s week-long participation leading up to the National Day of Silence on April 15, reports CBS news.

The petition, signed by more than 500 people, argued that school's intense participation demonstrates discrimination for other inequalities, stating the resources devoted to the topic exceeds attention to other equality concerns including religion, race, social status and more.

Windermere Ranch Middle School officials notified parents that lessons for the week would be themed around acceptance, safety and respect for all students with a specific focus on the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Questioning) community.

Parents demanded that efforts be limited to the district approved National Day of Silence on April 15, threatening a student walk-out if their concerns were ignored. As of Monday, 134 of the school's 1250 students would not be participating, according to CBS news, despite the district reports trimming the original lessons down to 10-15 minutes per day.

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Parent Petition Prompts Changes in LGBTQ Acceptance Week Participation at San Ramon Middle School

The petition reads:

Acceptance Week clearly involves public efforts that are focused on the LGBTQ community. Such public efforts are well beyond any activities for any other single group, and are believed to be discriminatory. Inequalities in such efforts are evident when comparing the time, resources and intensity devoted to lessons, activities, and promotional fanfare dedicated to the acceptance of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender group while ignoring acceptance and promotion of values represented in other diverse groups within our community. We are not against LGBTQ, but believe that the following represent equally important areas of concern, which are not addressed:

• Acceptance without condemnation for differing religious values or practices;
• Acceptance without regard to race or culture;
• Acceptance without regard to social status;
• Acceptance without regard to physical, social, emotional, mental or academic ability;
• Acceptance of first generation multi-ethnic minorities with diverse cultures and religious beliefs.

San Ramon Valley School District Communications Specialist Meaghan Krakoff explained that the idea of the lesson came from the school’s leadership students who wanted to plan lessons to address acceptance and respect for all leading up to the National Day of Silence.

The school's principal told CBS that the students who would not be participating would either be released 30 minutes early, or have a study period during the time the lessons are being taught.

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