Article / Archive
A California dad has blasted his son's school for giving the child a book about a transgender boy - then allegedly forcing him to explain it to kindergartners.
Carlos Encinas' 11-year-old son was assigned to read a book called 'My Shadow is Pink' in his fifth-grade class on May 1 at La Costa Heights Elementary School in Carlsbad north of San Diego.
The book centers around a boy who describes his father's shadow as 'big' and 'blue' and his dilemma with his own shadow, which he feels is pink.
'My heart skips a beat as I put on a dress,' the main character says in the book, while wearing a gown while his shade is a feminine color.
'My shadow loves ponies and books and pink toys. Princesses and fairies and things not for boys.'
The book talks about other people's shadows.
'Her shadow, she hides it. Her shadow likes girls.'
After Encina's 11-year-old read the book in his own class, the fifth graders were told they would be sharing the story with their buddy class, a class of kindergartners the fifth graders read to and mentor.
'That's actually where he felt the most uncomfortable,' Encinas said of his son.
'These little kids look up to them. They are with them twice a month.'
Encinas and his wife reached out to the school asking why parents were not notified that their kids would be reading the book and sharing it with even younger kids.
The couple decided to share their son's experience on their own social media to let parents know what was happening.
The parents said they just wanted future notification of sensitive topics and an option for their kids not to participate.
Carlos' video has been shared by many people, including liberal and conservative activists.
The principal of the school called the couple yesterday, they told DailyMail.com.
'I was hoping that they call would be conciliatory or have some sort of a, "Maybe we could do better, you should have been notified." Zero. It was more about her trying to understand how my video was making their teachers feel unsafe.'
Carlos says the principal denied the book was about being transgender and instead said it was about 'identity' and being inclusive.
Additionally, he claims the school told them they would not received future notification on books on the same topics and that their child could not opt out.
While they've gotten plenty of support from many circles, at their elementary school. the Encinas feel that they have been retaliated against for speaking out.
Jenny, Carlos' wife, says she's being attacked by other moms at the school.
'The PTA president organized a 'Pink out the Hate,' as in "We are hateful" and in the support of the book,' she explained.
'It has made my physically sick. My younger son wouldn't go to school. My older son was brave enough to go but he came home feeling like, "Everyone wearing pink is against me.'"
The school district did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com.
'We've been called racists. I'm Hispanic,' Carlos said.
'We've been told we're anti-LGBT. We don't hate anyone, we don't want them to feel excluded. We just want to know parents to know what their child is reading in school.'
With the school doubling down on its position not to notify parents about controversial or sensitive topics, the Encinas are considering moving their sons to a private school.
Additional article / Archive
A California father has taken to social media to speak out against La Costa Heights Elementary School, where his 5th grade class had to discuss a book about transgenderism to kindergarteners.
Carlos Encina explains in a widely-circulated video how his 11-year-old son’s teacher read a book to the class called My Shadow is Pink.
The book, in which the main character’s father teaches him “everyone has a shadow that they sometimes feel they need to hide,” is “inspired by the author’s own little boy.” The young main character “likes princesses, fairies and things ‘not for boys.’”
According to Encina, his son’s class not only read the book but was tasked with discussing it with the kindergarten “buddies” with whom they are paired throughout the school year.
“And that’s really what made him uncomfortable, is he’s got this buddy,” Encina says, referring to his son’s discomfort with the assignment. “These older brothers, older sisters are buddies with them throughout the entire school year. They spend between a half hour and an hour each week together. What’s most concerning is the school is using a child to disseminate this information to someone that is clearly looking up to them, a 5-year-old.”
Encina’s 11-year-old son also made an appearance in the viral video to verbalize his own thoughts about the experience.
“I hoped that my buddy wouldn’t understand what any of it meant,” Encina’s son says, adding his concern that, “it’s not okay that they’re showing this to kindergarteners.
“And after we had to do an activity where they drew a shadow with their favorite color. I never asked if I could opt out. But, I mean, because I didn’t want to get in trouble or anything.”
Encina also shares in the video that when he and his wife reached out to the school district to voice their concern about the topic and activities, the principal denied that the book discussed gender issues and accused Encina of “making their teachers feel unsafe.”
“The response was, ‘Well, this is just an exercise in colors. The buddies are just playing with their shadows and asking what color their shadows are, and, you know, it’s not gender identification, it has nothing to do with that.’”
Scott Stuart, the author of the book in question, has authored several other books for children, including My Shadow is Purple; the description for that book calls it a “heartwarming and inspiring book about being true to yourself and moving beyond the gender binary.”
A California dad has blasted his son's school for giving the child a book about a transgender boy - then allegedly forcing him to explain it to kindergartners.
Carlos Encinas' 11-year-old son was assigned to read a book called 'My Shadow is Pink' in his fifth-grade class on May 1 at La Costa Heights Elementary School in Carlsbad north of San Diego.
The book centers around a boy who describes his father's shadow as 'big' and 'blue' and his dilemma with his own shadow, which he feels is pink.
'My heart skips a beat as I put on a dress,' the main character says in the book, while wearing a gown while his shade is a feminine color.
'My shadow loves ponies and books and pink toys. Princesses and fairies and things not for boys.'
The book talks about other people's shadows.
'Her shadow, she hides it. Her shadow likes girls.'
After Encina's 11-year-old read the book in his own class, the fifth graders were told they would be sharing the story with their buddy class, a class of kindergartners the fifth graders read to and mentor.
'That's actually where he felt the most uncomfortable,' Encinas said of his son.
'These little kids look up to them. They are with them twice a month.'
Encinas and his wife reached out to the school asking why parents were not notified that their kids would be reading the book and sharing it with even younger kids.
The couple decided to share their son's experience on their own social media to let parents know what was happening.
The parents said they just wanted future notification of sensitive topics and an option for their kids not to participate.
Carlos' video has been shared by many people, including liberal and conservative activists.
The principal of the school called the couple yesterday, they told DailyMail.com.
'I was hoping that they call would be conciliatory or have some sort of a, "Maybe we could do better, you should have been notified." Zero. It was more about her trying to understand how my video was making their teachers feel unsafe.'
Carlos says the principal denied the book was about being transgender and instead said it was about 'identity' and being inclusive.
Additionally, he claims the school told them they would not received future notification on books on the same topics and that their child could not opt out.
While they've gotten plenty of support from many circles, at their elementary school. the Encinas feel that they have been retaliated against for speaking out.
Jenny, Carlos' wife, says she's being attacked by other moms at the school.
'The PTA president organized a 'Pink out the Hate,' as in "We are hateful" and in the support of the book,' she explained.
'It has made my physically sick. My younger son wouldn't go to school. My older son was brave enough to go but he came home feeling like, "Everyone wearing pink is against me.'"
The school district did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com.
'We've been called racists. I'm Hispanic,' Carlos said.
'We've been told we're anti-LGBT. We don't hate anyone, we don't want them to feel excluded. We just want to know parents to know what their child is reading in school.'
With the school doubling down on its position not to notify parents about controversial or sensitive topics, the Encinas are considering moving their sons to a private school.
Additional article / Archive
A California father has taken to social media to speak out against La Costa Heights Elementary School, where his 5th grade class had to discuss a book about transgenderism to kindergarteners.
Carlos Encina explains in a widely-circulated video how his 11-year-old son’s teacher read a book to the class called My Shadow is Pink.
The book, in which the main character’s father teaches him “everyone has a shadow that they sometimes feel they need to hide,” is “inspired by the author’s own little boy.” The young main character “likes princesses, fairies and things ‘not for boys.’”
According to Encina, his son’s class not only read the book but was tasked with discussing it with the kindergarten “buddies” with whom they are paired throughout the school year.
“And that’s really what made him uncomfortable, is he’s got this buddy,” Encina says, referring to his son’s discomfort with the assignment. “These older brothers, older sisters are buddies with them throughout the entire school year. They spend between a half hour and an hour each week together. What’s most concerning is the school is using a child to disseminate this information to someone that is clearly looking up to them, a 5-year-old.”
Encina’s 11-year-old son also made an appearance in the viral video to verbalize his own thoughts about the experience.
“I hoped that my buddy wouldn’t understand what any of it meant,” Encina’s son says, adding his concern that, “it’s not okay that they’re showing this to kindergarteners.
“And after we had to do an activity where they drew a shadow with their favorite color. I never asked if I could opt out. But, I mean, because I didn’t want to get in trouble or anything.”
Encina also shares in the video that when he and his wife reached out to the school district to voice their concern about the topic and activities, the principal denied that the book discussed gender issues and accused Encina of “making their teachers feel unsafe.”
“The response was, ‘Well, this is just an exercise in colors. The buddies are just playing with their shadows and asking what color their shadows are, and, you know, it’s not gender identification, it has nothing to do with that.’”
Scott Stuart, the author of the book in question, has authored several other books for children, including My Shadow is Purple; the description for that book calls it a “heartwarming and inspiring book about being true to yourself and moving beyond the gender binary.”
