Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

May 2001 – U.S. public schools, already a hotbed of liberal agitation, are quickly becoming a battleground for the soul of a culture that has been jolted off its Judeo-Christian foundations. As homosexual activists rush into the vacuum created by insulating schools from the influence of religion, AFA and other pro-family groups are formulating strategies to protect America's school children from homosexual propaganda. 

If the public school system remains one of the last institutions not heavily influenced by a pro-homosexual worldview, the window is closing rapidly. Across the nation homosexual activists are not only getting a proverbial foot in the schoolhouse door, but also slamming the door shut on opposing points of view. 

Banning 'straight pride' in school 
The irony is that activists are getting into schools by pleading for tolerance, but once inside they are fiercely intolerant of all who oppose them. 

That's what happened at Woodbury High School in Woodbury, Minnesota, a suburb of St. Paul. The AFA Center for Law and Policy (CLP) filed a federal lawsuit against the school to prevent officials from enforcing school policies that squelch viewpoints favorable toward heterosexuality. 

The suit was filed on behalf of 16-year-old Elliott Chambers, a student at Woodbury High, and his parents, Kendal and Lana Chambers. In January, Elliott was summoned to the principal's office and told that a sweatshirt he wore the previous day was thereafter banned--because "gay," lesbian, and bisexual students had complained that it was offensive to them. The sweatshirt carried the trademarked logo "Straight Pride" on the front, and contained the universal symbol of man and woman, holding hands, on the back. 

The school openly promotes homosexuality by displaying inverted pink triangles, the universal symbol of the homosexual community, in certain "safe" rooms. These safe rooms are set aside for student/teacher discussion and counseling regarding homosexuality and other non-traditional relationships. 

Prior to contacting CLP, the Chamberses had unsuccessfully attempted to resolve the matter by meeting with the school's principal, co-defendant Dana Babbitt. During the meeting, when the Chamberses expressed concern about the school's overt support of homosexuality and bisexuality, Babbitt called them "homophobic." Later, other parents were shocked when informed by Kendal and Lana Chambers about the school's safe rooms. 

"This is a case of classic viewpoint discrimination," said Stephen M. Crampton, Chief Counsel for CLP. "The school has chosen to openly embrace homosexuality and bisexuality, and it does not welcome dissenting points of view. What is especially troubling is the school's open hostility toward student support of committed man-woman relationships." 

'Until their voices are heard no more' 
This hostility is not surprising, since public school systems are becoming increasingly dedicated to only one acceptable view--that homosexuality is a natural, normal and healthy variation of human sexuality. Activists are determined that everyone and everything which is not in agreement with that orthodoxy must be molded to fit it. 

For example, in Newton, a suburb of Boston, both the "Parents Rights Coalition" and "Newton Parents for Moderation" have been publicly addressing the radical homosexual agenda within the school system. According to The Massachusetts News, schools in that district regularly invite homosexual speakers to address children and host events like "Bisexual Awareness Day." 

Outspoken opposition to these activities does not sit well with those determined to bend the culture to their will. Newton Mayor David Cohen complained publicly in the local paper, "Groups have arisen in Newton that attack and interfere with the practice of human rights in our city. We will stand up to them until their voices are heard no more." 

Both pro-family groups in Newton immediately expressed their dismay, and in a public school committee meeting, spokesmen demanded that the mayor explain exactly which groups he intended to silence. The mayor refused to answer. 

Few states top California when it comes to homosexual activists enforcing their new world order. In 1999 a number of pro-homosexual bills were passed by the state legislature and signed into law by liberal governor Gray Davis--all with frightening implications for those who still cling to traditional morality. 

According to an article in CNS News, one piece of legislation requires each school--all the way down to kindergarten--to provide classes for students "related to bias, stereotyping, and discrimination" if the schools want to receive taxpayer funds. Bias against sexual orientation is one of the topics to be addressed by the classes, in essence giving schools unlimited freedom to teach kids--beginning at age five--to accept homosexuality as normal. 

Such sweeping power is not good enough for activists. According to the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), homosexual sympathizers intend to go even further. PJI is a conservative legal organization which handles West Coast fights over religious freedom, sanctity of life, and parental rights. The Institute said the California State Board of Education has already drafted new regulations which would require Bible clubs in the public schools to include homosexual members--and even homosexual leaders. 

Leading the charge 
How did all this happen? Homosexual activists are employing a relatively simple strategy with a simple message: Schools should be a safe place in which all kids can learn, yet homophobia leads to harassment and abuse of "gay" and lesbian kids, who are prevented from learning. Since schools need to teach heterosexual kids to respect other sexual orientations, who better to teach "straight" children to respect homosexuality than homosexuals? 

Enter the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), perhaps the most well-organized and potent of all the homosexual activist groups. In just under a decade, GLSEN has grown from its organizational infancy in Massachusetts to include 70 school districts nationwide, overseeing nearly 700 "gay" student groups in 46 states. During that time, GLSEN has become the 900-pound gorilla in the fight for the public schools. 

With so much success in such a short amount of time, GLSEN has become nearly fearless in its mission to erase "homophobia and heterosexism" from public schools. For the 11th straight year, for example, GLSEN hosted a statewide "Teach Out" conference in Boston, at which both teachers and students learn ways to introduce a positive image of the homosexual lifestyle into their schools. 

A national pro-family blueprint? 
Over the years, AFA has consistently addressed the homosexual movement's obsession with infiltrating the public school system. Its eye-opening video It's Not Gay, which presents a heartbreaking look at the physical and emotional consequences of the homosexual lifestyle, has been the most popular video ever produced by AFA. As activists continue to make inroads in schools, AFA expects thousands more concerned parents to watch It's Not Gay and make it available to school officials. 

The seriousness of the problem has led national and regional pro-family groups to schedule a strategy session in Washington, D.C., at the end of April. AFA and others will discuss plans to develop a national blueprint to follow in the struggle to preserve traditional values in the public school system. 

"Homosexual activists have a very clear agenda when it comes to our nation's schools, and they are well organized and determined to capture the hearts and minds of our children," said AFA Vice President Tim Wildmon. "Future generations would never forgive us if we refused to take a stand and repel the onslaught at the schoolhouse doors."