Whoever takes the role of state superintendent of public instruction over the next four years will engage with a precedent-setting cultural conversation about the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth.
But between the two candidates running for the position, LGBTQ advocates say one has failed the leadership test.
Earlier this year, Erin Jones, a former assistant state superintendent and award-winning educator, responded to a conservative blog’s question about “teaching transgenderism” in elementary schools by saying “I do not think it is appropriate” and that such instruction could cause students to “feel additional pressure to ‘choose an orientation.’” Jones’s comments accepted the flawed premise of the right-wing blog’s talking points and language (“transgenderism” is a term used mainly by anti-trans activists; likewise for the idea that a person is able to choose their sexual orientation). Her comments also run contrary to state curriculum guidelines and fly in the face of scientific research about how kids learn and process ideas about gender and sexuality.
Further, in an August 25 interview with The Stranger, Jones declined to answer directly when asked whether she thinks being gay is a sin. And in a late August endorsement interview with Equal Rights Washington (ERW), the largest group advocating for LGBTQ rights in this state, Jones reportedly talked about LGBTQ identity as a “lifestyle.”
As a result, ERW has announced that it cannot support Jones and will be endorsing her unambiguously pro-LGBTQ opponent, Chris Reykdal, a former educator and Tumwater school board member.
