TRENTON, N.J. — A state-endorsed first-grade lesson plan that teaches 6- and 7-year-old children in New Jersey about gender identity and gender-role stereotypes is drawing sharp criticism from parents and education advocates, who say the material is inappropriate for young children and blurs the line between education and ideology.
The 30-minute classroom activity, titled Pink, Blue and Purple, is designed for students in grades K through 2 and comes from the national “Rights, Respect, Responsibility” curriculum promoted by Advocates for Youth.
The lesson is aligned with New Jersey’s 2020 health education standards and encourages first graders to explore gender identity, stereotypes, and what the curriculum refers to as “gender-role limitations.”
As part of the lesson, teachers ask students to choose between two greeting cards for a newborn — one stereotypically for a boy, the other for a girl — and then lead a discussion about why certain colors, toys, or interests are associated with gender.
The lesson encourages teachers to explain that gender identity may differ from physical anatomy and instructs children that they can feel like a boy, girl, or “a little bit of both.”
“All of what we just talked about — like deciding what colors or toys people can play with — is part of something called ‘gender,’” the teacher is prompted to say. The lesson also tells instructors to say: “You might feel like you’re a boy even if you have ‘girl’ parts. You might feel like you’re a girl even if you have ‘boy’ parts… No matter how you feel, you’re perfectly normal.”
Critics say material oversteps boundaries for young students
Parents and critics have called the lesson age-inappropriate and argued that the material introduces complex and sensitive concepts too early in a child’s development.
“This is not reading or math — this is a deeply personal and philosophical issue being presented to children who are still learning to tie their shoes,” said one parent in Monmouth County, who asked not to be named. “The state shouldn’t be telling six-year-olds they can reject their biology in the first grade.”
Opponents also point out that the lesson includes discussions about how children “know what gender they are,” with sample answers such as “I just know it” or “I feel that way on the inside.”
The curriculum then defines these feelings as “gender identity” and states that gender does not necessarily align with physical body parts.
The lesson directs teachers to reinforce the idea that being both genders, or feeling differently from one’s assigned sex, is “normal” and expected. Parents have voiced concern that such language may confuse children or lead them to question their own identity prematurely.
State defends standards amid growing pushback
The New Jersey Department of Education has endorsed the broader “Comprehensive Health and Physical Education” standards, which include teaching gender identity as early as kindergarten. Officials argue that the lessons are part of an inclusive curriculum that respects diversity and fosters understanding.
However, the rollout of these standards has sparked legislative debates, local school board protests, and calls for increased transparency in curriculum development. Some lawmakers have introduced proposals to require parental opt-in for lessons involving gender, sexuality, or identity in grades K–6.
Advocates of the curriculum maintain that early education on topics like gender stereotypes and identity can reduce bullying and foster acceptance. But critics say the material strays too far into ideology and should be left to parents, not public schools.
