Dear Colorado State Board of Education,

We, the undersigned concerned citizens of Colorado, respectfully request that the Colorado State Board of Education take immediate action to stop and withdraw the newly adopted LGBTQ+ Social Studies standards. These standards introduce sensitive and complex topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity to children as young as first grade, without sufficient parental notification or the opportunity for parents to opt their children out of these lessons.

Colorado law requires parental notification and an opt-out option for comprehensive human sexuality education starting in fourth grade, but the new LGBTQ+ Social Studies standards have no such requirement. This leaves parents unaware that their young children are being taught about sexual orientation and gender identity, preventing them from making informed decisions.

Parents are best suited to decide when their children are mature enough to discuss topics related to sexual orientation and gender identity. The newly adopted LGBTQ+ Social Studies standards disregard parental judgment, imposing these discussions on young children without adequate parental involvement or consent. We call on the Colorado State Board of Education to immediately halt the implementation of these standards, withdraw them for a thorough review, and ensure that any future standards respect parental rights, are age-appropriate, and include mandatory parent notification and opt-out options.

The role of education is to inform and prepare students for the future, but it must be done in a manner that respects the rights of parents and the developmental stages of young children. We believe that the newly adopted LGBTQ+ Social Studies standards violate these principles, and we call on the Colorado State Board of Education to halt the implementation of these standards immediately.