Parents
Dear Parents of Canandaigua City School District Students
Safe to Say
It’s probably safe to say that no one knows, cares about or loves your child as much as you do. You would do most anything to protect the health, safety and future of your child. We feel the same way about our own children. That’s why we became concerned when we discovered Canandaigua Schools’ messaging to our children about which we were never approached, did not approve, and believe is potentially harmful.
The school’s message is that our children’s identities are defined by their sexual orientation or their gender self-identification. Its messages also hint that parents may be “unsafe” people to talk to about these subjects since we may not “support” them if they tell us that they’re homosexual or gender-questioning. In the school’s attempt to make every child’s experience “equitable,” it promotes these controversial sexual identity topics and lifestyles. It assumes any child who claims an identity of homosexual or transgender a victim. Therefore, it thinks these sexual ideologies must be advertised and promoted so a questioning or transitioning child feels “safe.”
We discovered through our meetings and conversations with some school administrators, staff and the superintendent, that they seem to have very little respect for our family’s religious or moral beliefs while our children are at school. They hinted their belief that the school can freely promote or encourage this ideology or morality, as long as it can claim “victimized” students may harm themselves due to any opposing viewpoints. They told us we’re free to teach our children however we want at home, but were uninterested that our family values were very different than theirs.
We also discovered the school refuses to consider the possibility that a child’s sexual or gender confusion may be caused by a sudden change in or difficult family circumstances, let alone bodily and psychological changes that occur with maturation. If your child declares it, the school will celebrate it, and make everyone around them feel like haters if they don’t celebrate it too. This stance by the school, sadly, promotes confusion in children’s developing minds, as they think that these sexual and gender options might be the answer to their problems.
Our Goals
Following our realization of what the school promotes to our children (and the response we received from those in authority there), we formed Help Not Harm to affect healthy change and protect child innocence at CCSD. Our goals are:
Press the school for increased transparency and accountability for curriculum, educational materials, signage, policies and more;
Inform and educate parents about what their children are seeing and learning at school;
Minimize political or cultural agendas. Prevent one-sided propaganda but insist on balanced, neutral education about important issues in these arenas;
Promote truth and common sense for students’ healthy living along with solid, academically rich education;
Advocate for parental rights – our right to be informed about what our children are learning and having a say in our child’s education;
Provide support to parents, students and school staff who want to advocate for the ideals listed above.
Our Goals
Following our realization of what the school promotes to our children (and the response we received from those in authority there), we formed Help Not Harm to affect healthy change and protect child innocence at CCSD. Our goals are:
Press the school for increased transparency and accountability for curriculum, educational materials, signage, policies and more;
Inform and educate parents about what their children are seeing and learning at school;
Minimize political or cultural agendas. Prevent one-sided propaganda but insist on balanced, neutral education about important issues in these arenas;
Promote truth and common sense for students’ healthy living along with solid, academically rich education;
Advocate for parental rights – our right to be informed about what our children are learning and having a say in our child’s education;
Provide support to parents, students and school staff who want to advocate for the ideals listed above.
You may be asking, “Doesn’t disagreeing with these sexual ideologies give the impression we’re haters?”
We know this issue is uncomfortable and politically charged. We do not enjoy confronting the school nor do we seek to gain attention for political reasons. Our efforts to curb the school’s sexual messaging are based on our love and concern not only for our own children but all other Canandaigua school children as well. There are many hurtful and harmful paths these children could take if made to feel confused or enticed to question their gender or sexual orientation.
- Significant studies show children who progress down the path of homosexual or transgender lifestyles are at much higher risk of suicide- not because of the lack of affirmation from those around them, but because of the confusion and hurt they experience when they are still dissatisfied with life after they “come out” or transition.
- There are studies that show these kids (and adults) experience much higher instances of STIs and HIV. They are also at a much higher risk for alcohol and substance abuse.
- Kids who try to transition to the opposite gender using hormone therapies (which are increasingly administered as young as 11 or 12 years old) may permanently damage their bodies for the rest of their lives. If years later they change their minds and want to detransition, most will experience permanent consequences such as sterility and the inability to resume their original gender bodily characteristics. If children go so far as to have plastic surgery for transition (for example, amputate gender-specific appendages), their bodies could be permanently mutilated- all before they reach adulthood, when their brains are fully developed.
We are passionate about protecting children from these confusions and possible outcomes. We also want children who are already confused or are struggling in this area to know that there’s another way to think about their confusion- and their future- that they or their parents might consider.
Because facts, data and research about this are often buried by those who disagree with us, we’ve provided a starting place on our site for your own personal research and knowledge. See our Parents Links, Students Links, and Students Research pages.
If you have any questions, concerns, want additional information or want to help our cause, please reach out to us by using our contact form. We will be happy to respond and help in any way we can. Also, please email us if you’d like to receive Help Not Harm’s group updates and latest news sent directly to your inbox.