Parents in Lincoln, Nebraska, were up in arms after teachers were given teaching guidelines that advised them not to use "gendered expressions," like calling the students "boys and girls." The handout said that so as not to impose any specific gender classifications on students who might be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, teachers should create non-gendered terms like "purple penguins" or divide students by personal preferences, like "dog or cat" people. Well, first of all, I'd point out how offensive that is to kids who prefer parrots! Hey, if someone prefers pets with colorful plumage, don't try to impose your outdated canine-feline stereotypes on them! Second, I hate to break this to you, but gender is a biological fact of life. You're either a boy or a girl. Even if you sincerely believe you're a girl trapped in the body of a boy, you're still in the body of a boy. All the politically correct weasel words in the world will not alter the basic reality of anatomy. After getting an earful from parents and a lot of unwanted national ridicule, the Lincoln school superintendent said the gender-neutral terms were just a suggestion, not a policy or a mandate. I'd also like to add: there's no such thing as a purple penguin. - Governor Huckabee. 

 P.S. Our son lives in a very liberal part of Maryland. It appears that they are pursuing the same policy. He called us a few weeks ago and said he is pulling his six year old daughter out of the public school system next year and enrolling her in a Christian school even though that will cost money and time. - DFG