Los Angeles Unified School District President Jackie Goldberg gave a mic-drop speech at a recent board meeting in response to the right-wing outrage over an event that included the reading of a children's book about all kinds of families.
The book, The Great Big Book of Families, was read to students as part of Saticoy Elementary School's optional assembly celebrating Pride Month. Optional as in only those children who wanted or whose parents wanted them to attend would be there.
When homophobic conservatives caught wind of the planned reading, they falsely alleged the book was “sexually explicit” for featuring same-sex parents.
About 100 anti-LGBTQ+ protesters showed up outside the school. They protested with signs that read “No pride in grooming,” “Parental choice matters” and “Leave our kids alone.”
It's unclear how many of the protesters actually had children that attend Saticoy Elementary School.
The protest turned violent when they clashed with counterprotesters, resulting in a fistfight. One protester threw water and pulled the wig off a counterprotester, according to the Times.
Goldberg–who is openly lesbian and has lived with her partner in the east-central L.A. region of Echo Park since 1967–slammed the anti-LGBTQ+ demonstrators gathered to protest a children's book at an elementary school.
She read a line from the book:
“Some children have two mommies or two daddies."
Afterward she commented:
"A great book. I recommend it.”
In her fiery speech aimed at the conservative protesters, Goldberg made one thing very clear.
She stated:
"Nobody has to accept me."
"I'm not looking for your acceptance. But you better treat me the same way you treat everybody else."
"That's how we live in this country."
You can watch her epic speech here.
The 78-year-old board president raised her voice to deliver a special message to the protesters.
"You don't have to love me. You don't have to like me. You can think I'm the devil incarnate."
"But you better treat me like a decent human being because that's how I treat you even though you don't believe that I have the right to exist."
“I am very tired of having young people and adults in the LGBT community hear three days of yelling and screaming about this.”
She then addressed what all the hate spewed against every gay person–including children–in the city did to them.
"It made them afraid!"
"How dare you make them afraid because you are."
People felt Goldberg's message was spot on.
After she took a moment to collect herself, Goldberg apologized to attendees, explaining it was "personal."
"I went through with this. My son was harassed because he had two mommies. But my grandchildren aren't. That's progress."
"But I say to all of you. Nobody in this district will ever, ever sexualize any kid for any reason in any classroom in any way shape or form."
Following Goldberg's impassioned speech, the board unanimously voted to recognize important LGBTQ+ holidays, incorporate LGBTQ+ content into lessons and hold “commemorative activities” recognizing the LGBTQ+ community year-round.
The board also unanimously voted on a resolution that:
“...proclaims and commemorates June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, October as LGBTQ+ History Month, as well as October 11th as National Coming Out Day, November 20th as Transgender Day of Remembrance, March 31st as Transgender Day of Visibility, and April 12th as Day of Silence.”
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