As the new school year begins, it is maddening to realize that while many school districts are cash-strapped for the most basic of items, the federal government is using taxpayer money to pay for programs such as customized LBGT “safe spaces training” — for members of the Forestry Service.

That’s right — the Forestry Service. This is “safe spaces instruction” for people who work out in the woods, while kids and their teachers go without items they need during the school day.

A whopping $12,000 for customized “safe spaces” instruction was spent for forestry staff at both the Siuslaw and Williamette National Forests in Oregon.

A 2014 study by the National School Supply and Equipment Association found that 92 percent of teachers spend their own money on classroom supplies, while 85 percent buy instructional materials for their students.

The study also found that teachers are “the primary source of funding for classroom projects” and they pay for 77 percent of classroom supplies. Total teacher spending is estimated at a staggering $1.6 billion nationwide.

Despite loudly proclaiming how much it values educators, the federal government has found other ways to spend our hard-earned tax dollars. The Washington Free Beacon recently exposed several examples of “laughable-if-it-weren’t-so-scary” tax spending by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The aforementioned “safe spaces” training for the Forestry Service costs a hefty $12,000 for customized instruction for forestry staff at both the Siuslaw and Williamette National Forests in Oregon. The training was delivered by a company that specializes in “empowering change agents,” according to The Beacon.

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“Over the past few years the Obama administration has been aggressively pushing the radical LGBT agenda in foreign policy, our military, and through the entire federal government,” Brian Camenker, founder of conservative social policy group Mass Resistance in Massachusetts, told LifeZette. “This ‘safe space’ lunacy in the USDA is the latest iteration of that.”

He added, “And just as bad, spineless Republicans refuse to react at all to any of it.”

Another “critical” issue explored on the taxpayer’s dime is the way in which weather affects different types of people. The Forest Service under the USDA funded a study on the impact of climate change on gender — including LGBTQ individuals.

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[lz_bulleted_list title=”Items Teachers Need Parents to Provide:” source=”http://theeducatorsroom.com”]Pencils|Pencil sharpeners|Tissues|Clorox wipes|Hand sanitizer[/lz_bulleted_list]

The 72-page study paid for by taxpayers via the Forestry Service entitled, “Climate Change Through an Intersectional Lens: Gendered Vulnerability and Resilience in Indigenous Communities in the United States,” looked into how global warming will affect males, females, and LGBTQ individuals. It focuses on traditional responsibilities, diet, economic impact, public health, and the culture of the various genders within indigenous communities, according to The Beacon.

The study concludes, in part, “This literature synthesis illustrates some of the ways in which gender and indigeneity may intersect to make indigenous men, women, and LGBTQ people vulnerable or resilient in the face of particular impacts of climate change.”

Meanwhile, back in reality — your child’s teacher is scrambling for tissues for kids with runny noses.

When told of the government’s gender-based spending, one second-grade teacher in northern Massachusetts commented, “It really makes me mad. I just spent hundreds of dollars on arts and crafts supplies so that my students will feel creative in my classroom. But what is crazy is, schools support these radical agendas by going along with those that pertain to our schools, so they won’t lose federal funding. Schools are part of the problem by not saying ‘no.'”

Meanwhile, your child’s teacher is scrambling for tissues for kids with a cold.

Also important to the USDA is summits for lesbian farmers — delivered by none other than pop star Cyndi Lauper. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture is holding summits to promote the role of lesbian farmers as a part of its ‘Rural Pride’ campaign,” according to The Beacon. “The agency is working with singer and LGBT activist Cyndi Lauper for a ‘day of conversation’ about the struggles of gay and transgender individuals in rural America.”

“The agency says it wants to change the perception of what it means to be a farmer in America away from the ‘white, rich male,'” reported the Beacon.

While lesbian farmers get their due, your child is sitting at a desk that hasn’t been wiped down because the teacher has no cleaning supplies.

Meanwhile, GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) is at the tail-end of a five-year renewable grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that is allowing GLSEN to “partner with 20 targeted school districts across the country,” reaching “14,500 school personnel and 4 million students,” according to CitizenLink.com.

GLSEN announced five years ago that it would use the grant money — up to $285,000 per year — to start “internal Implementation Teams” and training programs based on GLSEN’s “Safe Space Kit.”

That $285,000 could buy a lot of classroom supplies.