Colorado state Representative Gordon Klingenschmitt, a Republican, called on parents in California this week to remove their children from public schools to avoid the state's LGBT-inclusive curriculum.

A California law which mandates schools teach about the historical contributions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people took effect in 2012. But unsuccessful efforts to overturn the law stalled its implementation.

Last month, the State Board of Education unanimously approved changes to comply with the first-in-the-nation law.

On his Pray in Jesus Name YouTube program, Klingenschmitt, a vocal opponent of LGBT rights, claimed that California schools had been invaded by a “demonic spirit of predatory sexual perversion” and called on parents to homeschool their children.

“It's the same demon that is now in pedophilia, when adults are coming after children, has now invaded the California legislators, who are now imposing their will – and this is not about freedom, this is about power, it's about power over children, over Christian children, over your children – to force them to learn all kinds of perversion,” Klingenschmitt told his viewers. “This is abuse, and it's yet another signal that parents must remove their children from public schools and homeschool your children.”

Klingenschmitt claimed that “this monstrosity” would “infect” children nationwide, then prayed that God would “protect the children from this pedophile spirit of abuse that is now invading the public school system in California.”