‘Sex work is not a bad term,’ says book for high schoolers

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‘Sex work is not a bad term,’ says book for high schoolers​



By
Rich Calder


June 18, 2022 9:31am
Updated





New York City public high school students have been given access to a controversial book that promotes sex work.
New York City public high school students have been given access to a controversial book that promotes sex work. Helayne Seidman






Prostitution – nbd.
A new woke book that compares sex work to upstanding jobs like store clerk and architect — “Seeing Gender: an Illustrated Guide to Identity and Expression” — is accessible to NYC teens and some parents aren’t happy about it.
The 208-page tome is available to public high schoolers as part of city Department of Education’s woke “mosaic” curriculum, which Bill de Blasio introduced during his final months as mayor in 2021 in a bid to make educational materials more “diverse.”
“Over time, sex work has shifted from something common and even celebrated to something highly stigmatized,” author Iris Gottlieb writes in a section of the book called “‘Sex Work’ Is Not a Bad Term,” trumpeting prostitution as “one of the oldest jobs in history.”
“One important thing to note is that sex work is work. It’s a job like being a store clerk, an architect, or a freelance writer. We all, unfortunately, have to do work to make a living,” the book reads.
“Seeing Gender: an Illustrated Guide to Identity and Expression is available for free on the students' Sora app.“Seeing Gender: an Illustrated Guide to Identity and Expression” is available for free on the students’ Sora app.
Big Apple public high school students can access the book for free on their Sora app accounts, which provides access to a vast digital library of books.
Maud Maron, a public school parent running for Congress, ripped DOE officials for making the book easily available for high schoolers to read without parental consent.
“Prostitution is not equivalent to other forms of work,” said the Manhattan Democrat and mother of four public school kids.
“Politicians will have their photos taken after they don an apron and flip pancakes at a charity event, even though they are not short-order cooks,” she said. “But they won’t get on their knees to [sexually service] clients.” To say sex work is typical “is a lie, and everyone know it.”
Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino, who has made weeding smut out of schools statewide a key part of his campaign, also said the “Seeing Gender” has no place on a DOE-sanctioned app.
Seeing gender bookThe 208-page tome is available to public high schoolers. Congressional candidate and public school parent Maud Maron criticized the DOE and politicians who support promoting sex work to children.Congressional candidate and public school parent Maud Maron criticized the DOE and politicians who support promoting sex work to children.James Messerschmidt
“There’s a reason a stigma is attached to sex work,” the former Westchester County executive said. “We don’t want women or men to be in that position and have to deal with the dangerous part of it” like STDs or violence. “I can’t imagine a parent hoping their child grows up to be a sex worker someday.”
Many studies have shown that sex workers have much higher rate of being victims of violent crimes than others, including one that found they have 32 to 55% chance of experiencing sexual violence in a given year.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino claimed that sex work has a stigma for a reason.Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino claimed that sex work has a stigma for a reason.AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews
One Queens public school mom said it’s “deeply concerning” the DOE “would propagate a book that would normalize sex workers.”






“Being inclusive is important, but regardless of one’s gender identity, what kind of message is this sending?” said the mom.
The book, which is not taught in the classroom, is the latest example of DOE reading material coming under fire from pols and parents for allegedly pushing a leftist agenda.
Other examples include a book intended for 10- and 11-year-olds that pokes fun at religion while glorifying socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, and another aimed for kids 5 and under that blames white people for creating the concept of race.
DOE spokeswoman Nicole Brownstein defended Seeing Gender being made available to students.
“Our public schools do not shy away from books that teach our students history and can be used to deepen their understanding of the world around them,” she said.
“We trust our high school students understand that books represent the views of their authors, and appreciate access to varied opinions, including those that are controversial. We value and honor our students’ perspectives and identities, and we provide opportunities for family voices to be heard on topics including school book selections.”
 
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