Patti Bowen
Outspoken, anti-LGBT, "Concerned Citizen"
At multiple meetings of the Madison Board of Education, Patricia "Patti" Bowen, founder of Madison Families, has expressed her concerns about the school district's policy 5756 regarding transgender students. While Mrs. Bowen claims she is concerned about the children, inspection of her proposed changes shows many of her sources to be anti-LGBT organizations.
Here's a rundown of those sources:
- Arlington Parent Coalition - a transphobic advocacy organization
https://arlingtonparentcoa.wixsite.com/arlingtonparentcoa - Family First New Zealand & Minnesota Family Council - right-wing organizations with ties to Focus on the Family and Alliance Defending Freedom http://familyfirst.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Responding-to-the-transgender-issue-in-NZ-schools-A-guide-for-parents-and-schools.pdf
- Minnesota Family Council - Gender Resource Guide
https://genderresourceguide.com/
- Associated organizations- Family Policy Alliance - “a Christian ministry that advances biblical citizenship … it’s clear that radical transgender ideology is deeply harming parents, women and children.”
- The Heritage Foundation - “to formulate and promote conservative public policies”
- Women’s Liberation Front - “a radical feminist organization” concerned with “the negative impact of gender identity ideology, especially regarding the undermining of girls’ athletic opportunities”, a “trans-exclusionary radical feminist group” according to Vox, The New Republic, and La Presse
- The Kelsey Coalition - concerned with “The dangers of blindly affirming children who identify as transgender”
- Parents of ROGD Kids
- American College of Pediatricians - a socially conservative advocacy group “advocating against abortion and the adoption of children by gay or lesbian people. It also advocates conversion therapy” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_College_of_Pediatricians)
- Texans Wake Up - a group “Based on conservative, Christian values, Texans Wake Up continues to alert parents to the dangers facing the body of Christ in public (government) schools”
https://www.texanswakeup.com/post-1/tmhfa-public-school-mental-health-program-is-harmful-to-children- Concerned with “normalizing transgenderism” and makes misleading statements about gender identity and other LGBTQ issues
- Provides extensive information on book bans
Madison Families
Anti-LGBT Organization
Madison Families (www.madisonnjfamilies.com) was created. It contains links to the same resources Mrs. Patti Bowen sourced many of her proposed changes from, including the Minnesota Family Council’s Gender Resource Guide. The site also contains a PDF of Mrs. Patti Bowen’s proposed changes to the district’s policy. The site also provides information to “opt-out” of school district policies. The form is provided by Garden State Families which claims its mission is to “protect and promote faith, freedom and the natural family, in culture and public policy, as held by the traditional Christian worldview.” Garden State Families was founded by Gregory Quinlan, an anti-LGBT crusader whose organization “opposes the alleged special rights of sexual minorities”. (www.gardenstatefamilies.org)
Madison Families Jan 30 Meeting Attendees
Madison Republican Committee
GOP Involvement
Despite public schools being affirmatively non-partisan, the Madison NJ Republican Committee, headed by Chair Kathy Dailey and Vice Chair Jason Leffler, has been deeply involved in running candidates in this past cycle's Board of Education election, and publicizing objection to school district policies regarding sexual education and transgender students.
In 2022, the Madison Republican Committee (MRC) put out a request via Facebook for candidates by sharing a post from the far right Arise NJ. In response, Kathleen Ruddy, a member of the MRC was nominated after a fellow member of the MRC circulated and filed a nominating petition.
During the election, the MRC publicized a petition hosted by the Madison Pharmacy which objected to the two year old Physical Education and Health standards as well as every LGBT-related term in the standards' glossary.
The Madison Republican Committee continues to promote the Madison Families organization and their agenda, even going so far as to promote the organization on their Twitter feed and via their newletter.
Kathy dailey
Madison Republican Committee Chair
On February 8th, 2023, Kathy Dailey, Chair of the Madison Republican Committee, took it upon herself to promote the Madison Families organization. She posted the following in the Madison Area Parents and Community Facebook page and then turned off comments.
"There has been a lot of discussion about the newly formed group Madison Families which has been characterized by some as "anti-trans." Is it possible to simply ask questions or propose improvements without being stigmatized as anti- anything? Take a look and judge for yourself." - Kathy Dailey, Madison Republican Committee Chair
About Us
Our mission
Our mission is to expose the sources, members, and bigotry of Madison Families, an anti-LGBT organization founded in December 2022 by Patti Bowen in response to the existence of a legally mandated school district policy addressing transgender students.