A syllabus for a gender and sexuality course hosted on the University of Texas at Austin website appears to promote transgenderism and question whether children are "sexual."

The university's 2019 "Introduction to Gender and Sexuality" course from the UT Austin Department of Human Development & Family Sciences offered students "extra credit" for attempting to cross-dress at a department store by trying on at least three items from both the men's and women's sections and reflecting on their experiences, physical sensations and reactions from others for higher grades.

The course syllabus — shared this week by GOP state Rep. Brian Harrison — encourages students to "write notes about how you feel in each outfit, what you notice about the physical properties of each garment, and how others react to your trying on clothing from both sections."

According to the document on the UT Austin website, the purpose of the assignment is for students to "analyze gendered clothing and people's responses to it."

As part of the course, students are assigned a portion of the GLAAD Media Reference Guide, which, among other things, takes aim at Christian ministries for so-called "conversion therapy" and alleges prominent Evangelical ministry and media figures such as Franklin Graham, Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, Alliance Defending Freedom and others "falsely claim to represent the views of religious Americans."

The syllabus also informs students that a portion of their overall course grade is based upon the student's "willingness and ability to engage in respectful discussions" on various topics, including "human diversity, values, beliefs, identities, stereotypes, and ways of living." One example specifically noted in the syllabus is by students "honoring others' gender pronouns."

Part of the course calendar involves studies on children and sexuality, including standalone discussions on "How Children Learn about Gender" and "Are Children Sexual?"

It's not clear whether the course is still active. CP reached out to UT Austin for comment Thursday. This story will be updated if any response is received.

The 2019 document lists the instructor as Amber Kreischer, an assistant professor at UT Austin from 2017 to 2020. She is now an adjunct instructor and program coordinator at Austin Community College. Harrison called for Kreischer to be "be fired immediately" from her current position "as well as any involved UT leadership."

According to the lawmaker, the course is now taught by a different professor. The class is still listed on the university's course catalog as Human Development and Family Sciences 306, which seeks to "[e]xplore social, emotional, cognitive, and physical aspects of gender and sexuality within the contexts of individual human development, families, and cultures."

"The syllabus is currently being hosted on an official, taxpayer funded, Texas government website," Harrison added. 

Despite its conservative-leaning reputation, Texas public universities and community colleges have raised eyebrows in recent years for introducing what Gov. Greg Abbott referred to as "sexual orientation and gender identity ideologies" into university classrooms.

In response to an executive order from President Donald Trump on "gender ideology extremism" in federal agencies, Abbott sent a Jan. 30 letter reiterating that the state of Texas "recognizes only two sexes — male and female — and sex discrimination consists in treating a member of one sex less favorably than the other, absent some pertinent difference."

DEI programs at public universities are prohibited under Texas' newly implemented law, Senate Bill 17.

Last month, Abbott threatened to fire the president of Texas A&M University after it was revealed that the institution was sponsoring student travel to a conference that excluded white and Asian students. 

The PhD Project's Annual Conference, held in Chicago, Illinois, is specifically designed for "historically underrepresented individuals considering business doctoral studies." The event, which promotes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), explicitly limited eligibility to non-white, non-Asian students.

Soon after, Texas A&M President Mark A. Welsh III issued a public statement reaffirming the university's commitment to comply with SB-17 and asserted that it does not engage in discriminatory practices.

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/ut-austin-syllabus-offers-extra-credit-for-cross-dressing.html