Are parents right to protest Pride event?

The parents group protesting Pride Month activities at their children's North Hollywood elementary school: Are they properly pro-active in monitoring the quality and appropriateness of their kids' educations. or mean-spirited hysterics about the simple fact that gay rights are continuing to expand in our nation?

That's our Question of the Week for our readers.

Last Friday, as our staff writer Clara Harter reports — in what became a nationwide story — “chants rang out for hours outside Saticoy Elementary School ... June 2 where a group of predominantly Armenian parents protested a Pride-themed book reading that described same-sex marriage and counter-protesters defended the school's right to teach grade school students about forms of sexuality.”

“Stop grooming our kids,” shouted a group of parents. “No hate in the 818” yelled back a group of LGBTQ+ advocates.

“I don't like the idea of my little kid coming home and saying it's fine for a family to have two dads, two men to love each other. We don't respect that, it's not in our culture as Christians and Armenians,” said Sean Karapetyan, a father of two students at Saticoy Elementary School.

Is he right? Is elementary school too early to discuss sexuality? Or is it the proper time to educate kids about issues of tolerating difference?

The conflict began weeks ago when some parents became outraged over the school's announced plan to read at a student assembly “The Great Big Book of Families.” The book describes various types of families including those with same-sex parents. Is that in itself “grooming” kids about their sexuality, or simply a reflection of reality?

What about the Pride flag that was found burned outside a Saticoy Elementary classroom last month? Is that a proper protest, or is it a kind of hate crime?

Were LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and other schools officials right to attend the protest in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ advocates, or should they be on the side of keeping such adult concerns out of the elementary school curriculum?

Email your thoughts to opinion@scng.com. Please include your full name and city or community of residence. Provide a daytime phone number (it will not be published).