Gender Perspective Debate in Puerto Rico
Conservatives in Puerto Rico push for inclusion of the gender perspective in school curriculum. Gender perspective is what makes the allusion to a conceptual tool that shows the differences between women and men.
Currently, the island of Puerto Rico is facing one of its biggest problems yet. In fact, growing concerns revolve around the academic process that includes education with gender perspectives as the basis.
On March 8 of 2021, Senator Maria Santiago Negrón presented Prop. 226. In addition, two other Projects 184 and 185 were presented by senators of the Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana (Citizen Victory Movement) Party. This guarantees that all governmental entities must not discriminate towards women and people from the LGBTQ+ community including that schools should implement the education with a gender perspective. This became an increasingly controversial topic in Puerto Rico. Nevertheless, the goal is to improve the educational experience.
The Opposing Party
Religious counterparts oppose what they call indoctrination of gender ideology. As a result, on August 14th hundreds of people protested, promenading towards the Capitol.
Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 dice hoy desde el Capitolio de Puerto Rico NO A LA IDEOLÓGIA DE GÉNERO @AgustinLaje pic.twitter.com/44HmHZuvsP
— Wilfredo Diaz Rosado🦅🍊🇺🇸🇵🇷🇮🇱 (@wilfredodiazPR) August 14, 2021
Religious Leaders Take a Stand
Various religious leaders were content with the outcome and overwhelming support. Reverend Alberto Rodriguez confirmed to the local newspaper El Nuevo Día.
“It was an intense march. I believe that the Christian people spoke clearly, sent a message to the leaders at the end of the day. To La Fortaleza and the legislators, Puerto Rico is a conservative island and has the right to have its opinion. Respected and not to impose that ideology of transversal gender ”, he specified. “We believe in equality, which is different from a gender ideology.”
The protest itself was called by the organization Family and Pro-life Coalition.
Moreover, political leaders from the Proyecto Dignidad (Dignity Project) Party were pleased. Senator Lisie Janet Burgos mentioned that there was good participation. Also, she went on to say that if it wasn’t for COVID-19 the Senate would have been more concurrent.
“There are many conservative people here who are totally against the imposition of gender ideology on children in schools. There are other ideological principles such as values, widespread brutality, and violence against women. We understand that education with values is enough to counteract the violence we are suffering today,” said the senator.
All in all, the objective is to ensure that students understand and empathize with all perspectives, particularly young women. Gender perspective education doesn’t serve as sex education; however, it seeks to right the wrongs of society. A society where domestic violence incidents are too common.
