A Republican candidate for New Jersey Governor has suggested that if elected, he’d roll back LGBTQ-centered curriculum in schools.
Jack Ciattarelli made his comments at a gun range on June 26. A video of his speech was obtained and published this week by the Gothamist.
In the video, Ciatterelli says, “I feel lucky [our kids] are in their 20s and I don’t have to be dealing with what you’re dealing with right now. You won’t have to deal with it when I’m governor, but we’re not teaching gender ID and sexual orientation to kindergarteners. We’re not teaching sodomy in sixth grade. And we’re going to roll back the LGBTQ curriculum. It goes too far.”
Related: Gay panic defense banned in New Jersey
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There is no evidence of any sixth graders being taught about sodomy in school.
Approached for comment, Ciatterelli rubbished the notion that his use of the word “sodomy” was LGBTQ-related.
He said his comments had “absolutely nothing to do with someone’s sexual orientation and the inference that it does is purposefully misleading … It has to do with mature content being taught to young children. That is a parent’s job, not the school district’s.”
A local LGBTQ advocate, Christian Fuscarino, executive director of Garden State Equality, was unimpressed, telling Gothamist use of the word “sodomy’ sounded like Ciatterelli was “speaking in code or virtue-signaling to a very specific group of people. He goes on to say more bluntly that he wants to roll back some of the progress the LGTBQ community has made.”
Related: Marjorie Taylor Greene says talking about homosexuality in schools is “child abuse”
New Jersey recently passed a couple of laws regarding sexual orientation being talked about in schools. The first, effective from this fall, requires, “school districts … include instruction on diversity and inclusion as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards.” This will include gender and sexual orientation.
The second law, “requires boards of education to include instruction, and adopt instructional materials, that accurately portray political, economic, and social contributions of persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.” It’s up to school boards to decide how to do this.
Ciatterelli, a former member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 16th district (2011–2018), goes up against Democratic Governor Phil Murphy in November’s election.
Cam
As always. Republicans hate us and want to hide the very fact that we exist.
That’s why the right wing troll account comes in here every single time somebody famous comes out of the closet to attack them.
skeldare
They really love thinking about gay sex.
Banshit
This site paints the most appalling picture of America, I have been a few times so I understand you aren’t all Qanon wannabe gun toting nut jobs but if Queerty were to be believed I would expect to get lynched as soon as I stepped off the plane. What’s wrong with something positive once in a while?
BaltoSteve
There is a concept in journalism, that surpasses just about all borders. That concept is, if it bleeds it leads. The more salacious, the more provocative, the more incendiary the more likely it will be on the front page/lead story.
Kangol2
Queerty does publish positive articles but on many of them very few people comment, and sometimes half the comments are dismissive or trollacious. To be fair, it also is important to report on anti-LGBTQ bigots, politicians, etc. This is who and what we’re dealing with. And it isn’t just the US, either.
Mister P
Kids don’t need to be taught about sodomy. They can think of it in their own.
BaltoSteve
Well this is the party that doesn’t want to teach about birth control as well.
Man About Town
Yo David — he said sixth grade, not “sixth schoolers!”
Chrisk
Sodomy is oral and anal sex and heterosexuals enjoy it just as much. Of course that’s not what they’re teaching. Facts matter but apparently not to dipshits like this.
Mack
Notice he had to say this at a “gun range”, he’s going for those voters with a small penis problem.
Kangol2
The man is a clown, and his comments are meant to stir up homophobia among his potential voters. On the other hand, the incumbent governor, a Democrat, is very popular and steered the state through one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks in the US (in part because of NJ’s proximity to NYC and the major international airport at Newark). Ciatarelli isn’t going to win but he probably will try to collect as much right-wing cash as humanly possible on the way to his defeat.
whateverokok
The man may be the epitome of a clown, but he’s not wrong. Maybe, if he worded it differently, then it might have gone down better. I believe, and I could be wrong, that the general thinking here is we need to let kids be kids while they still can. Teaching a kindergartner what transgender means and is sorta grows a child up pretty dang fast. No matter how simple you explain. I didn’t know anything about transgendered whatevers or gays and lesbisans when I was a kid. Nor did I know any of that when I was a teenager. And I’m glad too.
I got to grow up at my own pace and be a kid/teenager for as long as I had. Which is not very long. It’s not really about sexualizing things either. Kids just need to think about having fun (not a word Blanche), school work, what’s for dinner, and whatnot. Let them be. I don’t understand this incessant need to shove EVERY LITTLE THING in our kids faces these days. Whatever that may be.
Chrisk
Yeah, except no one is teaching them about sex dumbass. Just basic knowledge. Many of those kids are experiencing same sex attractions themselves.
I’m sorry that you led such a sheltered life and turned into such a effing mess.