A Democratic county official apologized for accusing Muslims of being aligned with white supremacists after some parents opted their children out of lessons including LGBTQ themes and spoke out against the curriculum.
Montgomery County Councilwoman Kristin Mink issued the apology in a statement from her official social media account on Sunday.
“I regret that although my remarks were focused on promoting inclusion, they created an opportunity for misunderstanding and characterization. I apologize for the hurt that caused in the Muslim community,” Mink wrote.
“Even when individuals disagree about difficult issues, I am committed to finding space to foster authentic dialogue and seek points of understanding. I sat down to hear from Muslim community members before my remarks on Tuesday and with District 5 Muslim leaders on Thursday,” she added. “I listened, and I understand their concerns.”
Parents protested at the Montgomery County Public Schools headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, after receiving an email in May that they would not be allowed to opt out their students from LGBTQ instruction.
During a heated debate in June, Mink accused the parents, many of whom are Muslim, of being white supremacists.
“This issue has unfortunately put, it does put, not all of course, some Muslim families on the same side of an issue as white supremacists and outright bigots,” said the Democrat during the meeting. “However, the uh, the folks who have talked here today I would not put in the same category as those folks, although you know again it’s complicated because they’re falling on the same side on this issue.”
She we went on to say that LGBTQ literature was not an infringement on religious rights and compared the activism to teaching evolution in schools.
“Just as we cannot allow folks to opt out of teachings about evolution, we can allow them to teach about this,” said Mink.
At least three parents have filed a lawsuit against the county and other parents are demanding that they be allowed to opt out their children based on their religious beliefs against LGBTQ indoctrination.
Mink was a progressive activist and a teacher before she ran for the council seat in Montgomery County.
Here’s more about the fight over LGBTQ curriculum:
Parents want to opt their children out of LGBTQ+ curriculum in Marylandwww.youtube.com
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