Parents React To Education Dept. Initiative For Kids Using Pronouns Like ‘Ne, Ve, and Ze’
Moms are reacting to the Pennsylvania Education Department's decision to include gender resources on its site that promote neopronouns.
Pronouns have been a big topic of contention in public education lately. With an activist push from the LGBTQ+ community, some are more accepting than ever of the notion of allowing people to identify by the pronoun of their choice, typically being “he, she, or they.” But at the same time, opponents of this fear what they call a confusing and non-biological stance on the matter, especially as some people are found to be identifying by other pronouns, such as “Ne, Ve, and Ze.” Many schools are attempting to bring awareness to the use of these pronouns growing in popularity, such as the Pennsylvania Education Department.
Fox News reported that the Pennsylvania Education Department has a new section on their website dedicated to gender identity and inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community. With a section offering terminology for gender diversity, a portion gives examples of pronouns used, listing “ne, ve, ze/zie, and xe” as some examples that teachers should be aware of. Discussing the matter with Pennsylvania moms on Fox News Media, parents conveyed their outrage with the inclusion of this information.
Across social media, and within the segment, opposing parents continuously used the term grooming when discussing their dismay with the Pennsylvania Education Department’s decision to include the extra pronouns. Veronica Gemma, the PA Economic Growth PAC chairperson said that while it’s everyone’s “personal business” she asserted that these pronouns aren’t academics, and don’t “belong in the classroom.”
A portion of the page on the Pennsylvania Education Department’s website also claimed that the two gender concepts were false, which equally upset parents discussing the matter. One mom, Megan Eileen, questioned what exactly they based their factuality on in making this assumption. “God created a man and a woman, and that’s it,” added Gemma.
So where exactly did this push for acceptance of all pronouns exactly come from? According to information on Them, an LGBTQ+ publication site, pronouns like ne, ve, and ze, are neopronouns. They are categorized as new pronouns used in place of the common he, she, and them ones. Most often, they are associated with transgender individuals or gender nonconforming people. According to historical records of their use, they have been reportedly used since the mid-1800s. However, the push to make them more widely recognized – like within the Pennsylvania Education Department – has only been seen in the past few years.
While the website doesn’t clearly depict how this information is being pushed in schools and varying grade levels, the belief by opponents is that it may be pushed onto small elementary-level children, which many fear will confuse them. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Education Department site offers links to resources, guidelines, and lesson plans for teachers to use, furthering the belief that instead of focusing on academia, the state’s public schools are fixating on gender ideology.
According to statements from representatives for the Pennsylvania Education Department, the reason they include resources for these gender identity and LGBTQ+ topics for schools is out of a need to make sure they are supporting all learners, no matter how they might identify. Regardless of their reasons, parents who oppose of schools implementing any form of acceptance will continue to fight back against these measures. Unfortunately, much of the divide comes from personal preference, but luckily, those who oppose these types of initiatives remain able to leave the public school system if they disagree with what is being included in guidelines and resources so vehemently.
