Catholic schools had better watch out, better not cry. And they’d better not pout, ‘cause the LGBTQ agenda is coming to town!
And it's coming with a vengeance. Literally.
Catholic schools are worried that their subsidized school lunch meals could be taken away from students if their school policies don’t comply with the Biden administration’s forced LGBTQ agenda, including treating kids in accordance with their “gender identity.” And some are starting to fight back.
Earlier this year, the administration changed its interpretation of the Title IX law to include “sexual orientation or gender identity” under the ban on sex discrimination. Now, the Catholic News Agency reports that religious freedom and free speech advocates are concerned that school policies - including those at faith-based institutions - on bathrooms, hiring, preferred pronouns, and dress codes could all be affected.
If Catholic schools refuse to comply with these changes, they could see the money they receive from the National School Lunch Program, which provides free lunches to thousands of underprivileged kids, be taken away. This puts pressure particularly on schools that serve low-income communities.
The Washington Times published an article in June reporting that 26 state attorneys general have already written a letter to President Biden urging him to reconsider the measure.
Related: Heartbreaking: 4-Year-Old ‘Comes Out’ as Transgender During Pride Parade
“Using hungry children as a human shield in a policy dispute violates basic decency,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “Aren’t there any parents in the Biden administration that can see past the edges of their ideology?”
According to CNA, schools have already filed lawsuits against the Biden administration for the abusive law:
One private school, Grant Park Christian Academy in Tampa, Florida, managed to secure a religious exemption last week from the state's agriculture department — but the school had to file a lawsuit first to get it. [. . .] The Tampa private school filed a lawsuit in July against Biden and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried after Fried threatened to cut off the school's lunch money. On Friday — just over a week after the lawsuit was filed — Fried informed the academy that the school’s application for a religious exemption would be approved, restoring the funds.
“The fact remains that a religious school was forced to sue the government to protect its constitutional rights, and every Catholic school needs to be ready to do the same,” Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, a nonprofit organization that promotes and defends Catholic schools.
“This was blatant bullying by the Biden administration to advance its radical agenda," Reilly told CNS.
Forcing schools to go through the expensive burden of filing lawsuits to safeguard their constitutional rights to religious liberty is clearly unnecessary. In fact, the measure should not be foisted upon any school, public or private.