If one were using an epidemiological model for the toxicities of the radical right, Fox News might be considered to be a vector. The latest virus, currently making the rounds of rightwing host blogs, seems to have originated with the right wing National Review. It was then caught by Todd Starnes who is frequently "patient zero" when it comes to Fox diseases. This latest bit of conservative histrionics, aided and abetted by Glenn Beck, is focused on how a Nebraska school district is trying to be more gender inclusive so that LGBT (and all) students can feel more comfortable. But for the right, any attempt to mess with what Jesus assigned us is considered just another stop on the highway to hell. So it's no surprise that Fox's Outnumbered would tackle the story and, in so doing, advance the BIG, FAT LIE that has become part of the right wing narrative.

#Oneluckyguy and Murdoch owned Weekly Standard writer Stephen Hayes framed the propaganda which isn't difficult for Hayes as he earned his right wing creds peddling the lie that Al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein were connected. His opening: "Teachers in a Nebraska school district are being told to stop calling their students boys and girls instead they're being instructed to use more gender inclusive terms like campers reader and purple penguins." He asked "Isn't this a great moment for our country where we are now at the point where we have teachers stop referring to children as boys or girls."

HAYES IS LYING: Materials given to teachers, in the Lincoln NE school districts, are "not meant as rules staff had to follow, but as suggestions for how teachers can make students feel comfortable. It also stresses the impact words can have on others."

After Hayes' opening, he tossed to the panel for their patented ain't-it-awful discussion which is basically a forum for right wing talking points. Harris Faulkner said "it teaches children not to be proud of who they are" and compared it to how in "the political scape," belief in "American Exceptionalism" is on the wane. She went on about "how we're not allowed to own our gender" yadda, yadda,. The chyron reinforced the lie: "NE School District Tells Teachers Not To Call Students 'Boys and Girls'."

Hayes read a statement from the school superintendent about not being judgmental which, in the context of the actual training materials, makes sense. He asked "isn't this being judgmental?" Susan Smith quoted from the training document which advises the teacher to avoid using the term "normal" to define behavior. Everybody laughed. The chyron, in the form of question, promoted the requisite Fox anti-PC propaganda: "Are Gender Neutral Terms Necessary in Schools or Just Political Correctness?" Smith asked some legitimate questions; but then qualified them with "I don't like the way they sound." She lamented that she couldn't find any substantive reason behind this, despite the availability of information from the Nebraska Journal Star.

Without referencing the aforementioned available information, Jedidiah Bila speculated on why this was happening and then stressed, in keeping with Fox's patriarchal beliefs in defined hetero-normative roles, the differences (we silly gals are only concerned with shopping!) between the sexes and that children should not be raised to think otherwise. 

An outraged Andrea Tantaros railed against the "leftist propaganda" of "academia" which teaches that men and women are the same. She opined that saying that kids are all the same "doesn't do a service to these kids." She wanted to know if "anybody is worried about math and science [Surely not in Christian conservative circles, Andrea!] or is it just political correctness?"

Hayes was concerned about parents who will have to correct this "nonsense." (Don't believe your teacher, Johnnie, little Joey is a disgusting sodomite!) Advancing Fox's anti-feminist patented "boys will be boys" meme, Hayes said that parents will have to say "it's OK to be a boy, if you want to do a stereotypical boy thing and go play with a truck, go ahead."  (And if you touch that Barbie you're in for a beating!) In what had to be one of the most awkward and obvious propaganda non-sequitors, Falkner wanted to know if "this was an extension of the war on women because by doing this you're wiping away any sort of thing that would say be proud to be a girl." Hayes: "This is an extension of the war on common sense." Bila totally misrepresented the issue: "You don't want teachers now removing the very obvious fact that you have boys and girls."

Ain't it awful - except none of it is true! And if your crazy, conservative, Fox loving uncle passes along some chain mail thing, send him this link to Snopes where he can learn the truth!