Back in April, we told you about the controversy that erupted in Sutton where photos emerged of a drag queen dancing on a table in the school library, underwear exposed, surrounded by students. Common-sense parents and community members were outraged, demanding to know what had happened. We quickly learned that the drag queen was part of the Connections Conference, a social justice themed conference held at the school. But who was directly responsible? Why did this happen in Sutton? And how had this relatively conservative district fallen so far as to allow an adult entertainer to dance for kids?
We dug in and did a thorough investigation, which you can read on the Massachusetts Informed Parents substack here and here. Through our investigation, concerned Sutton parents and community members found answers to their questions. They also found the information they needed to inform and mobilize their own community. They engaged their school committee, demanded accountability, and rallied around common-sense candidates for their upcoming school committee election. As a result of their advocacy, on May 28th Sutton voters unseated a longtime incumbent who had expressed support for the drag show, and the top vote-getter was a pro-parental-rights write in candidate! While the future of the Connections Conference is yet to be determined, the school committee has heard the message from local citizens loud and clear – if you want to keep your seat, don’t support drag queens in our schools.
In Sharon, parents have been equally successful in making change. Over the past couple of years, an organized group of parents have been working together to bring awareness to their district’s focus on gender ideology, sexuality, and woke politics, all at the expense of academics. They have done public records requests and shared what they found at school committee meetings. They have advocated for common-sense policies that support academic excellence, ban political flags on school flagpoles, and allow students to report teachers who express politically biased speech in the classroom. They created a website for parents to learn more about the issues, and they pounded the pavement for pro-parental-rights candidates who want less ideology and more honors classes. On May 21st, Sharon voters spoke, and all three school committee seats on the ballot went to the candidates that advocated for education over indoctrination. Even in deep-blue Sharon, the voters sent a message. If you want to win, you need to listen to parents!
The recent elections in Sutton and Sharon should send a message to the whole state – when parents and local activists get involved, change is possible! Grassroots efforts to promote parental rights, common-sense values and biological reality can work, even in Massachusetts. We applaud the efforts of the hardworking parents in these communities, and we hope their success is an encouragement to all concerned MA citizens.
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