Grace Christian School in Valrico, Florida. (Facebook/ Grace Christian School – Valrico, Florida)
A Christian school in Florida has asked all gay, transgender and non-binary students to “leave immediately” in a message to parents.
Grace Christian School in Valrico, Florida, which requires all students to begin every school day with pledges to the Christian flag and the Bible, as well as the American flag, sent the message to parents ahead of the start of the new school year, according to NBC News.
In an email, administrator and pastor Barry McKeen told parents: “We believe that God created mankind in His image: male (man) and female (woman), sexually different but with equal dignity.
“Therefore, one’s biological sex must be affirmed and no attempts should be made to physically change, alter, or disagree with one’s biological gender — including, but not limited to, elective sex reassignment, transvestite, transgender, or non-binary gender fluid acts of conduct (Genesis 1:26-28). Students in school will be referred to by the gender on their birth certificate and be referenced in name in the same fashion.”
McKeen added: “We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, transgender identity/ lifestyle, self-identification, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful in the sight of God and the church… Students who are found participating in these lifestyles will be asked to leave the school immediately.”
The policy, sadly, is not surprising considering the increasing anti-LGBTQ+ Christian conservative influence in Florida, exemplified in the recently-passed Parental Rights in Education bill, known to critics as the ‘Don’t Say Gay‘ bill.
In a video statement responding to criticism of the policy, McKeen defended the private Christian school by saying: “It is our policy now, it will be our policy going forward… God is the same yesterday, today and forever, he does not change.”
Grace Christian School also maintains a similar policy for staff, stating that “homosexual conduct defined as acts or identifying statements” is reason for dismissal.
He added that the policy was “not new” and that the email was a “reminder” to parents, adding that “almost every Christian” school in the entire state of Florida had the same policy.
McKeen also claimed that “only” one student had been asked to leave because of their LGBTQ+ identity, and that he and his wife have “friends that are homosexuals”.