- Southern California protesters clash with police following school district recognizing June as Pride Month
- Demonstrators gathered and met with supporters of exposing young children to LGBTQ+ issues at school
- A similar protest occurred on Friday outside Saticoy Elementary School in Los Angeles over a planned Pride assembly
Southern California protesters clash with police officers on Tuesday following the state's school district voting to recognize June as Pride Month.
The demonstrations included several hundred people gathered in the Glendale Unified School District Headquarters parking lot. There was a split in the crowd that showed the divide between those who supported the decision and those who opposed exposing youngsters to LGBTQ+ issues in school.
Protesters Clash Over Pride Month Vote
Some people in the area who opposed the decision wore T-shirts with the words, "Leave our kids alone." It was the same slogan other protesters used last Friday when they gathered outside of the Saticoy Elementary School in Los Angeles following a planned Pride assembly, as per Yahoo News.
Police officers also had to separate groups of protesters and counterprotesters who exchanged blows due to their stances. Pride month celebrations across the United States are kicking off despite continued criticism in some areas that oppose LGBTQ+ rights.
Even community parade organizers, school districts, and professional sports terms have been met with opposition for flying rainbow flags and honoring drag professionals. Republican-led states are generally moving to limit classroom conversations about gender and sexuality. They are also working to ban gender-affirming care in their territories.
On the other hand, Democrat-led areas are looking to expand currently existing LGBTQ+ rights and are working to honor the community's contributions in general. Glendale police had to move quickly to stop clashes between protesters and counterprotesters.
Video footage captured by a media outlet showed one man being taken away by law enforcement personnel after he lay down in the street and refused to move. The Glendale Police Department issued a news release on Tuesday, saying that the protest was generally peaceful until a small group engaged in unsafe behavior, according to CBC.
Limiting Schools to Academics
Authorities added that the group became a risk to public safety due to their actions during the protests. They noted that at least three people were taken into custody on various charges, including unlawful use of pepper spray and willfully obstructing officers.
After police officers made the initial arrests, there were additional attempts to de-escalate the crowd, but law enforcement ultimately failed. The news release added that after the demonstrations exceeded the bounds of peaceful assembly, officials issued a dispersal order shortly after 6:00 p.m.
During the hours-long proceedings, the meeting at the school district was capped at 75 public speakers who shared their views on the district's LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum. They talked about allowing students to select their pronouns as well as students' access to bathrooms and locker rooms.
In a statement, Alyssa Cohen said that she was on the side of parents who want to keep focus in schools on academics instead of on sexual orientation. She also called gender identity a fake, made-up concept that had no basis in material reality and would not be beneficial for kids in the future, said the Mercury News.