After Broward County Schools Superintendent Earlean Smiley shockingly said there is no "clear-cut answer" to the question of what a woman is, the Broward School District has given its official answer.
In response to an inquiry by Board Member Brenda Fam, the Office of Student Services referring to the Family Life and Human Sexuality Curriculum states that there is "no specific definition of a woman". However, the curriculum "attributes female reproductive parts to a woman (ie. ovaries, ovum, vagina and uterus)".
Can men get pregnant? According to the Broward School District, the answer is no, kind of.
"The curriculum identifies which sex can get pregnant and give birth across multiple grade levels and lessons," reads the statement. "For example, the word 'pregnant' is defined as 'a woman who is going to have a baby' and the word 'labor' is defined as 'the time during which a woman is having contractions and giving birth to a baby."
This response came after the question was raised at the March 28 board meeting by Fam.
"Some of my parents have had some questions that I actually posed and didn’t get a response for. They want to know what the definition of a woman is for sexual education curriculum in Broward County," Fam said at the meeting. "They want to know what individuals can get pregnant and what individuals can give birth. They want to know those definitions as well. I think this, especially, with school vouchers and school choice, is going to weigh heavy on them in whether or not they choose to leave the school system or whether they stay based on some of these responses. And they are very serious, and they want answers to these questions."
The exchange made national headlines. Fam reached out via email to Melissa Hill in the Office of Student Services who replied with the below statement which is attributed to the Family Life and Human Sexuality Curriculum. This did not satisfy Fam who replied:
"You did not respond to my question. My question is how do we define a woman and man. 'We' is referring to Broward County School District and how does Broward County School District propose or define a woman and man in the Broward County School District Sexual Education in their 2023/2024 proposed curriculum/curriculum."
Fam called Hill's definition "ambiguous" and demanded clarification.
"Are you incorporating the aforementioned definition into the Flash curriculum that is being proposed? Or are you advising that Broward County School District has no opinion on what is a man or woman; and no definition will be included? Please clarify with full and complete transparency," replied Fam in an email to Hill.
The Broward School District was reached out to for comment and if they reply their statement will be added.
Read the definition of a woman given by Broward School District here:
