An Oregon father is raising concerns about a state-run student health survey that includes questions about sexual orientation and gender identity. The survey, sent to students in sixth, eighth, and eleventh grades by the Oregon Health Authority, has sparked debate among parents, educators, and lawmakers. At the center of the controversy is whether the state is overstepping its role in education and infringing on parental rights.
Chuck Gonzales, a father from Hillsboro, Oregon, says he was shocked to learn that his 11-year-old son would be asked to complete the survey. His son, Maxwell, is a sixth-grade student at Minter Bridge Elementary School. Gonzales said he found out about the survey online, then downloaded a copy from the Oregon Health Authority’s website. What he saw, he says, deeply troubled him.
The 2024 Student Health Survey includes questions such as “What is your gender identity?” with options like “girl or woman,” “boy or man,” “nonbinary,” “genderqueer,” “demiboy/demigirl,” and “agender.” Another question asks students whether they are transgender, with answers ranging from “Yes” and “No” to “I don’t know what this question is asking.” The survey also asks about students’ sexual orientation, listing terms like “bisexual,” “pansexual,” “asexual,” and “queer,” alongside “straight.”
Gonzales believes these questions are inappropriate for children as young as 11. “My son had no idea what any of this meant, but he knew that it was weird and sick and gross,” he told Fox News Digital. He said many other parents he spoke with were unaware the survey even existed.
The Oregon Health Authority conducts the Student Health Survey to gather data on student well-being, including mental health, substance use, and social experiences. The state says the survey is voluntary, and parents have the right to opt their children out. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Hillsboro School District said that parents were notified both digitally and in a hard-copy letter, and that Gonzales had in fact opted his son out of the survey.
But Gonzales argues that the state is pushing an agenda without proper transparency. He believes the survey represents an attempt to shape young children’s views on gender and sexuality without parental input. “They are projecting their own ideologies on our children,” he said.
The issue highlights a growing national debate over the role of schools in teaching about gender identity and sexuality. Some states, like Florida and Texas, have passed laws limiting such instruction in elementary and middle schools. Supporters of these measures argue that such topics are best left to families. Others, including many teachers’ unions and progressive advocacy groups, say students need inclusive education to feel seen and supported.
At its core, the dispute raises questions about who should decide what children learn when it comes to personal identity: parents or the state. For families like the Gonzaleses, the answer is clear. “They have no right to step on the values that we have as Christians,” he said.
Gonzales has used social media to encourage other parents to speak out. He posted a video of his son reading survey questions, calling it a wake-up call. “These kids are still trading Pokémon cards and scraping knees, not dissecting their identities,” he said.
His message is part of a growing parental rights movement that has gained momentum in many parts of the country. Advocates argue that schools are moving too far, too fast, without parents’ knowledge or consent. They see surveys like Oregon’s as part of a broader trend of government overreach into family life and child-rearing.
For now, the Oregon Health Authority says the survey is meant to improve student support services and is not mandatory. But as more parents become aware of its content, pressure is likely to build on local and state officials to review how such surveys are introduced and whether they should be allowed in public schools at all.
The debate is far from over. What’s clear is that parents like Chuck Gonzales are not willing to stay silent. They are calling on others to get involved, speak up at school board meetings, and make their voices heard. At the heart of their concern is a simple question: Who decides what’s best for our children—their parents, or the state?
