Pride Month Event at Los Angeles Elementary School Sparks Demonstrations

A Los Angeles elementary school became the center of Pride Month activities in California on Friday when protestors and counterprotesters clashed there.

The protesters opposing the Pride Month assembly at Saticoy Elementary School donned t-shirts that said "Leave our kids alone" and held banners that read "Parental Choice Matters" and "No Pride in Grooming," according to AP News.

A social media group that urged parents to leave their kids at home on the day of the assembly was created last month, and since then, tensions have been rising.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed their presence at the school. It reiterated its commitment to helping the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and ensuring that constitutional rights may be exercised peacefully.

LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gonez said that the school activities occurred without an issue despite the protesters. Reading and discussing various kinds of families was part of the Pride event.

More protestors were present outside the school than were in favor of the gathering. It's still unknown whether any of the demonstrators were guardians of schoolchildren.

Tensions Continue To Escalate

Pride Month celebration was opposed by the Instagram account Saticoy Elementary Parents, who described it as "inappropriate" for kids. The website, whose origins are still unclear, defends the freedom of Christian families and individuals with conservative views to decide what is suitable for their children to read. It invites parents to complain to district and school authorities.

Meanwhile, in Davis, California, local authorities wiped away a rainbow crosswalk decorated by elementary school pupils using chalk paint in honor of Pride Month. A former student's parent filed a complaint, which led to the removal, according to a US News article. According to Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel, crosswalk decorations are prohibited without prior authorization.

In the United States, June is regarded as LGBTQ Pride Month, celebrating people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Pride Month this year falls amid a rise in state-led initiatives to limit the activities of transgender Americans, per VOA.

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United States, California, Los Angeles, LGBTQ, Conservative, LAPD, Schools