Cultural Shift Away from the Gender Bender Cult

Decrease in Students Identifying as Non-binary in New Jersey

GOOD NEWS!!

The significant surge in students identifying as non-binary in New Jersey schools, which initially escalated by over 4,000% from the 2019-2020 to the 2023-2024 school year, currently appears to be on the decline this school year, as districts are also increasingly electing conservative school board members. The initial rapid increase in non-binary children was suspected to be from the mental health issues caused by the pandemic, the changes in the New Jersey 2020 curriculum to include more gender cult teachings through the sex ed, and online influencers, who found a captive audience of children eager for the latest, most "enlightened" trend in self-definition. Today, the NJ DOE 2024-2025 data indicates a slowing or outright reversal in this trend, signaling that the initial wave of this particular cultural phenomenon is indeed receding.

"Non-binary" is a term that refers to individuals who do not identify strictly as male or female. Instead, they may see themselves as both, neither, or somewhere in between. This concept has gained prominence in recent years, particularly among younger age groups, and is often associated with broader cultural shifts around gender identity. Critics argue that encouraging children, especially those in middle school and younger, to question their biological sex at an early age can lead to confusion during critical stages of development. They also point to the role of peer influence, online communities, and school-based policies in normalizing gender experimentation without sufficient long-term evidence of its benefits.

Parents and community members have been loudly advocating for a traditional and SCIENTIFIC approach to gender, which directly challenges progressive policies that, frankly, turned our educational institutions into social experiments. This is the beginning of the much-needed cultural shift away from what many recognize as the gender bender cult. In several school districts, the contentious debate surrounding Policy 5756 (a guideline that permits schools to direct a student's gender transition without parental notification or consent) became a flashpoint this year. Last month, Edison dropped the controversial transgender policy, a clear victory for common sense. This fundamental challenge arose from community outrage over parental rights being usurped and children being exposed to questionable ideologies, serving as undeniable evidence of this crucial movement away from the gender ideology in question.

Language directly from Policy 5756:

The fight for sanity in our schools is far from over, as a disheartening number of districts continue to cling to these radical gender identity policies. It is precisely these remaining bastions of progressive ideology that demand even more vigilance and "encouragement" from discerning parents and grandparents. For instance, in conservative Medford (Burlington County), the school still operates under a policy mirroring the state's controversial guidelines on hiding Gender Identity or Expression from parents, creating separate records to hide name and pronoun changes from parents. In addition, this policy allows boys in girls’ sports and private spaces, like bathrooms and locker rooms. The battle for common sense must be fought by parents in each district that is still clinging to this cultish agenda. Just over 90 districts out of 500+ do not have this policy. The ones that do need more encouragement from parents and grandparents to drop the policy. Find the list of school districts that still have this policy here.

Gender Ideology Enters NJ Classrooms as Early as Kindergarten

In addition to increasingly out-of-touch school policies, New Jersey’s 2020 sex education standards introduce gender ideology into the classroom starting as early as kindergarten. In grades K–2, children are now expected to “discuss the range of ways people express their gender and how gender-role stereotypes may limit behavior” (Standard 2.1.2.SSH.2). This inserts complex and ideologically charged concepts into lessons meant for 5- to 7-year-olds, at an age where children are just learning to read and write, not deconstruct societal norms. By third grade, the standards go even further, requiring students to "differentiate between sexual orientation and gender identity" (2.1.5.SSH.2) and to demonstrate ways to promote respect for all people, including along lines of gender identity and expression (2.1.5.SSH.3). Many parents and educators are raising alarms, saying these standards reflect radical activist-driven priorities and blur the line between education and indoctrination, all while sidelining parental rights and age-appropriate instruction.

Download the New Jersey Sex Education Standards Below:

2020 Njsls Chpe

1.41MB ∙ PDF file

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Shifts in Student Gender Identity Reporting by Grade Level

These lessons that question biological reality are introduced at such a young age, it is surprising that there was still a decline across all school levels in the number of non-binary children reported this year. The most significant decrease occurred in middle schools, which saw a 43% reduction. PreK-5th grade experienced an 11% drop, while high schools saw a 13% decline.

It’s no surprise that the largest decline occurred in middle school, since that age is particularly susceptible to social contagions due to their developmental stage. Early adolescence, typically spanning ages 11 to 14, is a critical period for identity formation, during which peer influence peaks and the desire for social belonging intensifies. As young people begin to explore their sense of self, they are more likely to adopt beliefs and behaviors modeled by their peer groups, both in real life and online. This susceptibility is heightened by increased exposure to social media and online communities, where trends and groupthink can rapidly shape attitudes and identities. Research in developmental psychology supports this, showing that adolescents are more prone to conform to peer norms compared to younger children or adults. (Steinberg & Monahan, 2007).

It seems parents have finally had enough of the education establishment's faddish fixation on 'gender identity,' and they're pushing back hard. After all, responsible parents possess the wisdom and the right to guide their own children away from these passing cultural fads, if they're even made aware of them, that is. Naturally, this makes policies like 5756 all the more insidious, since they are designed to deliberately keep parents in the dark. Meanwhile, it’s as if schools have turned classrooms into brainwashing labs, using our kids as caged test subjects. Because, really, who among us truly believes that third graders are best served by "dissecting gender roles?" This is, after all, a concept that conveniently shifts over time and with every passing cultural whim anyway. Instead, shouldn't they be learning the foundational subjects like reading and math? You know, the forgotten skills that actually prepare them for something beyond the latest progressive trend.