Photo via NBC News/YouTube
June 3, 2021, 1:01 pm
A Virginia PE teacher has been placed on administrative leave after publicly announcing that he is using his religion as an excuse to be transphobic, claiming that using trans students’ correct pronouns is “child abuse” and that granting basic respect to the kid is against God. Byron “Tanner” Cross made this declaration at a local school board meeting on new gender-affirming policies, referencing a 60 Minutes special on trans people who decided to de-transition as though this experience is universal in the community rather than representing a small minority.
Featured Video
Hide
“60 Minutes, this past Sunday, interviewed over 30 young people who transitioned. But they felt led astray because of lack of pushback, or how easy it was to make physical changes to their bodies in just 3 months. They are now de-transitioning. It is not my intention to hurt anyone, but there are certain truths that we must face when ready.”
Advertisement
Hide
In reality, de-transitioning occurs not because of a “lack of pushback” on trans people making decisions about their own bodies and lives, as there is already a ton of pushback on this in the U.S. and most of the world. Rather, a total lack of anything resembling education on gender identity and the transgender experience in public schools, lack of safety for transitioned trans folks, and the natural process of exploring one’s gender and overall self are the reasons most often cited by people who have de-transitioned.
After demonstrating that he had done no additional research on the issue after watching the one segment looking at one aspect of the issue, Cross moved on to blaming God for his transphobia.
“We condemn school policies like 8040 and 8035 because it will damage children, defile the holy image of God,” he said. “I love all of my students, but I will never lie to them regardless of the consequences. I’m a teacher but I serve God first. And I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it is against my religion. It’s lying to a child. It’s abuse to a child. And it’s sinning against our God.”
Fact check: The Bible says absolutely nothing about trans people or gender transition. Also, multiple studies on the issue have found that suicide rates among trans people skyrocket when their true gender is denied by the people around them but is drastically reduced if they are supported and respected just like cisgender people.
Advertisement
Hide
Imagine refusing to recognize kids’ pronouns and then file a lawsuit saying that your own freedom of speech was compromised…and your religion…
A gym teacher proclaiming he’s on earth to do “God’s work”….forgive me, but, jesus christ
https://t.co/YVj9wFOAlT
— slimstimulus (@alililliterate) June 2, 2021
Cross is now suing the Loudon County School District for putting him on leave and threatening to fire him, as well as banning him from school property and events. The lawsuit claims that firing him for doing something that causes or intensifies gender dysphoria, which Cross claims to care about, is against his freedom of speech or something.
“It is about whether public schools can punish a teacher for objecting, as a private citizen, to a proposed policy, in a forum designed for the purpose of considering whether to implement such policies, where the policy would force him to express ideas about human nature, unrelated to the school’s curriculum, that he believes are false,” the suit reads.
This may be difficult to defend as other actions that cause harm to children are also banned by public schools regardless of teachers’ beliefs, including things like corporal punishment and blatant forms of racism, sexism, and homophobia. Of course, as was the case when schools were desegregating or when they were forced to give equal resources to girls’ sports, that won’t stop bigots from trying.
*First Published: June 3, 2021, 1:01 pm
0 Comments