Conservatives flip out over WA curriculum that teaches about gender: 'Public school is child abuse'

Conservatives reacted angrily to reports that Washington state will begin teaching kindergartners about gender identity next school year.

The conservative website Daily Caller reported on Thursday that as of fall semester 2017, public schools will start educating students about gender expression. Kindergartners will also learn to distinguish between "safe and unwanted touch" and to "Recognize people have the right to refuse giving or receiving unwanted touch," according to a Washington schools spokesman, speaking to the Caller.

The Caller fretted that Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction "did not answer a question from TheDC about whether this lesson plan amounts to teaching consent to kindergartners."

The story prompted one woman to compare public schools to "child abuse."

Others also reacted angrily.

A person posting a comment to the Daily Caller story conflated being transgender with mental illness -- a common conservative theme. "I can respect the mentally ill," the person wrote. "I can't respect the idea of endorsing, promoting or buying into their delusions or being an accomplice to supporting mental disorders as healthy."