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An Oregon father is outraged after discovering that his 11-year-old son was slated to receive a state-issued sexual orientation and gender identity survey that asked children to identify their sexual orientation, gender identity, and whether they are transgender.
“I was made aware of this survey somehow online,” Chuck Gonzales told Fox News Digital in an interview Tuesday, whose son, Maxwell, attends Minter Bridge Elementary School in Hillsboro, a suburb of Portland, Oregon.
“I might’ve got it through an email, but it was a survey that is asking our children grades six, eighth, and eleventh grade issued by the Oregon Health Authority,” Gonzales said. “And the survey, it asks a lot of really confusing things to sixth graders. And one of those is it discusses and asks about their gender and sexual identity. So when I heard about this, I went to the website, downloaded the PDF form, and sure enough, it was just right there. ”
Oregon father Chuck Gonzales with his sons. Maxwell is in the football jersey. (Photo courtesy: Chuck Gonzales)
The 2024 Student Health Survey asked questions such as “What is your gender identity,” with the multiple choice answers being “girl or woman, boy or man, demigirl/demiboy, nonbinary, genderfluid, genderqueer or questioning, and agender/no gender.”
A demigirl/demiboy, according to gender terminology, is defined as someone who partially identifies as a girl or woman, and a demiboy is someone who partially identifies as a boy or man. The “demi” prefix is meant to communicate the belief that gender is partial, not whole, and the other part of their gender identity can be anything, including another gender, genderless, or a fluid gender.
Another question asks the student if they are transgender, with the answer options being, “Yes,’ ‘No,’ ‘I am not sure,’ ‘I don’t know what this question is asking,’ and ‘I prefer not to answer.’”
“It is infuriating that the government, the state of Oregon, and these liberal progressives down in Salem can think that they can go into the bedrooms of our children and ask them about things they have no clue about,” Gonzales said. “My son had no idea what any of this meant, but he knew that it was weird and sick and gross.”
An additional question asked students their sexual orientation and told them that they could choose more than one answer.
Answers to the question included “straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual or aromantic, queer, questioning, ‘Something else fits better, Please tell us more,’ ‘I am not sure of my sexual orientation,’ ‘I don’t know what this question is asking,’ and ‘I prefer not to answer.’”
The 2024 Student Health Survey asked questions such as “What is your gender identity,” with the multiple choice answers being “girl or woman, boy or man, demigirl/demiboy, nonbinary, genderfluid, genderqueer or questioning, and agender/no gender.” (Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)
Gonzales said he thought most parents he spoke with had no idea the survey existed.
“When I had heard of this survey, none of the parents that I had spoken with or comments online had heard anything about it,” Gonzales said. “And of course, plenty of people thought that it was completely made up and ridiculous. But when it actually came out, when I posted the link and I had parents private messaging me to send them the link to the survey so they could opt out.”
He said he believes the survey is a direct affront to parental rights.
“They have no right to step on the values that we have as Christians, he said. “They certainly have no right to step into whatever kind of sexual values that a child doesn’t even have. They’re just, they’re projecting their own ideologies on our children. So I mean, yes, it’s infuriating as a Christian and as a Catholic, but just simply as a parent and standing up for what is good based on what is clearly evil in this case.”
Gonzales encouraged other parents to get involved rather than stay silent.
“Parents, don’t be afraid to go to your city council meetings, to go to your school district meetings, but also don’t blow your gasket,” Gonzales said. “The way that we are going to win is for us to stay in control of our own thoughts, our own words, and our own emotions.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Beth Graser, communications officer at Hillsboro School District, said, “Every parent/guardian received advance information about this survey in two ways: through our ParentSquare communication system and via hard copy that was sent home with students. The school received a signed opt-out form for this student, and they did not participate in the survey.” (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)
He also posted a video to Facebook showing his son reading portions of the survey and urging parents to act.
“Parents, wake up! The state of Oregon is shoving invasive surveys at our 11-year-old sixth graders – yes, our KIDS – asking they spill about their ‘sexual orientation,’” Gonzales said in a recent Facebook post.
“What in God’s name is happening,” he asked. “I’m a dad who prays day and night over my kids’ souls. I teach them right from wrong, but now, bureaucrats in Salem think they get a say? Without one word to me? This isn’t education – it’s a sneaky end-run around us, probing tender hearts before they’re ready. These kids are still trading Pokémon cards and scraping knees, not dissecting their identities!”
“It’s wrong,” Gonzales said in the post. “It’s a violation. And as a Catholic conservative, I’m done playing nice. Our children aren’t lab rats for some progressive experiment. They’re gifts from God, entrusted to us – not the state. This erodes everything: our rights, our faith, their innocence. Fellow parents, rise up! Call your reps. Flood the schools. Sign petitions. Protect the little ones – because if we don’t, who will? #HandsOffOurKids #OregonParentsUnite #CatholicMomFight #ParentalRights Share if you’re with me. Let’s pray – and act. Ave Maria.”
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In a statement to Fox News Digital, Beth Graser, communications officer at Hillsboro School District, said, “Every parent/guardian received advance information about this survey in two ways: through our ParentSquare communication system and via hard copy that was sent home with students. The school received a signed opt-out form for this student and they did not participate in the survey.”
Fox News’ Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report.
