“Leave Our Kids Alone” Wants To Ban LGBTQ+ Content In LAUSD Schools
By Dolores Quintana
Three individuals were taken into custody during a confrontation between protesters outside of City Hall and a Los Angeles Unified school board meeting on Tuesday, adding to the already heightened tensions surrounding LGBTQ+ rights. The LAPD estimated that the crowd was about 50+ people for each group, and they were separated from each other by the LAPD.
The anti-LGBTQ+ group “Leave Our Kids Alone” organizes their protests and events on social media, namely Instagram. They repost content from Turning Point USA and other conservative groups as well as cross-posting with the group Saticoy Elementary Parents. Saticoy Elementary Parents group is known for the protest they held outside of that school in the San Fernando Valley during Pride Month. These groups demand that the school board implement new policies, including banning LGBTQ+ content from classrooms and requiring parental notification if a child expresses transgender feelings. In response, activists from the left-wing coalition “By Any Means Necessary” organized a counter-protest against what they characterized as a “misogynistic, racist fanatics’ rally.”
According to accounts from witnesses reported by KCAL and the Los Angeles Times, one protester affiliated with Leave Our Kids Alone was arrested for allegedly obstructing the intersection, leading to the police declaring the assembly unlawful. Additionally, two counter-protesters were arrested for purportedly resisting police efforts to disperse their group.
The Los Angeles Police Department press release revealed that the three people who were arrested were Linda Daitsman, Robert Maxie, and Gordon Shiva. All three had bail set at $5,000.
The LAPD has faced criticism for allegedly employing more force against LGBTQ+ individuals compared to those opposing LGBTQ+ rights, as was witnessed during the 2021 Wi Spa protests. Furthermore, the LA County Sheriff’s Department’s treatment of Emmett Brock, a transgender man who was reportedly beaten, suffered a concussion and was hospitalized by a deputy in February, may result in a lawsuit.
