LINCOLN- Members of the Nebraska State Board of Education got an earful form opponents of draft health standards that would teach students as young as first grade about gender identity and gender stereotypes. The board also heard from advocates of the LGBTQ community and parents of gender-nonconforming children who support the standards. The hearing in Kearney lasted about 4 hours and 70 people testified.

Many opponents were appearing on behalf of Protect Nebraska Children coalition, which claims to have 11,000 members. The testimony mostly focused whether it's appropriate to teach elementary school children about these topics. Opponents said introducing young children to sexual topics would sexualize them, encourage promiscuity, confuse them and leave them vulnerable to sexual predators. Supporters of the bill said the opposite, that teaching children about these topics would arm them with tools to fend off sexual predators.

Proponents of the measure said these standards could help all Nebraska children feel heard and seen by their teachers and peers. The curriculum would begin in kindergarten with more being added every year through eighth grade. Twenty-eight out of 49 state senators backed opponents and Gov. Ricketts in asking the Board of Education to remove all sex-education and other 'ideologically motivated content' from the standards.

The standards, if approved, would be recommended for use by school districts, not required. The final draft will be approved in the fall.

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