A recent paper from a couple of the institution's professors, psychologist Theodore Burnes and "expert in teacher education reform" John Pascarella III, promotes the ideology to "transform school environments' relationship to sexuality and gender expression."
The paper itself, "Centering celebratory drag pedagogies in queer- and genderqueer-evasive K-12 educator preparation programs," is locked behind a paywall, but a press release from USC describes its contents.
For example, the professors claim drag can "both be used as a tool to impact the training of educators and as a learning tool in classrooms."
California Family Council Vice President Greg Burt, who watches over the state legislature on issues related to religious liberty, parental rights, and the biblical definition of family and gender, says drag performances are adult entertainment for a reason.
"These are sexually charged, provocative performances," he points out. "It's appalling that our educational institutions here in California are training teachers to treat drag performances as something children should look at … trying to normalize adult sexual performances for children in elementary school classrooms."
President Donald Trump's administration has ordered the elimination of federal funds to schools that continue diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and has reversed Joe Biden's infusion of gender ideology into Title IX rules.
Even though school districts risk federal funds to adopt the paper's recommendations, LifeSiteNews says the authors' mentality is far from uncommon in modern public education.
Burt believes it remains an issue because people allow it.
"This is all happening because too many people are being quiet," he observes. "This is about normalizing sexual performances, and it's crossing a line."
He encourages people to "not be silent anymore."
Future teachers should strongly object to taking these classes as students, school board members should be on alert and refuse to accept any new teacher with this kind of thinking, and "this should get anybody fired," Burt submits.
