Sunday Guest Column

THE INTIMIDATION OF TEACHERS by Otis Page

The battleground for homosexual activists is in the schools. Teaching homosexual propaganda to children is the objective, and the intimidation of teachers and the educational establishment by legal measures sponsored by Democrats is the tactic. Homosexuals are imposing their value system - its implicit code of sexual ethics - by the education of children through the legal intimidation of teachers - that they must teach the homosexual agenda despite any religious disagreements. And this is supported by the Democrat party in the United States.

America's largest teachers union, the National Education Association, has developed programs to incorporate the homosexual agenda into public school curricula for children of all ages. Many of them are in place today. In the book, The Homosexual Agenda, authors Sears and Osten state. "As bodies change and hormones rage, youths are told that their feelings may indicate that they are bisexual. Further, heterosexuality is portrayed as being passé, while 'alternative' sexuality is promoted as chic and more likely to result in peer acceptance."

Children as young as kindergarteners are to be taught that a family is a unit of two or more persons, related either by birth or by choice that may or may not live together. As an example, The Homosexual Agenda describes an annual Day of Silence that the Gay Lesbian Straight Educational Network (GLSEN) orchestrates, wherein students are not to speak. Instead they are to present a card explaining that they will not speak that day in support of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people. Children are told that friends and family members who hold that homosexuality is wrong should be considered enemies and treated as such, according to cited research.

How is this strategy implemented by homosexuals? California is a good example. On January 1, 2000, a new law went into effect in California: The California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000. It is also known by its number in the legislature, AB537, and is a revision to the California Education Code. This California state law has a purposeful intent: To intimidate the teaching profession and the educational hierarchy in California.

Law AB537 accomplishes this intent by legally professing prohibitions against discrimination and harassment against students in California public schools based on sexual orientation or gender non-conformity. Its real objective is to intimidate those in education and to discriminate against those who oppose the Homosexual Agenda to teach the acceptance homosexual lifestyle to children and young adults.

AB537 prohibits harassment, threats and discrimination against gay and lesbian students, or straight students who are perceived as gay and lesbian. In addition, the more expansive definition of gender discrimination includes discrimination against a person because their identity, appearance or behavior is different than that traditionally associated with the person’s sex at birth. That means it is illegal to discriminate against a female student because she wears boyish clothing, against a male student, because his mannerisms are perceived as "effeminate" or because a student is transgender identified.

Schools must not only ensure that teachers and other school employees not engage in prohibited behavior, but also that students are not subjected to prohibited behavior. In other words, student-to-student discrimination and harassment prevention is the responsibility of the school. Schools are also responsible for ensuring that students are free from harassment and discrimination from any source while at school. This includes parent or community volunteers, and sports team coaches.

Schools and school districts can be sued for not complying with AB537. Schools are responsible for ensuring that students are not victims of harassment or discrimination based on sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. If they fail in preventing or stopping that type of behavior, they can be sued. In addition, administrators, teachers and staff may be personally liable as well.

Students can file a complaint with the school board, with an investigation and written response due in 60 days. If a student is not happy with the response, they can appeal to the California Department of Education. Students are also free to file a civil action for injunctive relief (an order to stop prohibited behavior) or for compensatory damages.

Teachers must educate students about the appropriate use of terms associated with gay issues, teach the concept of diversity of the larger community. The obligation as an educator is to confront stereotypes and address inappropriate language to make the schools safe for homosexuals. A discussion about differences is purported to be not a discussion about human sexuality, yet it is. The pretension is on making school climates safe for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons and not to confuse sexual orientation with sexual behavior. The objective is to teach children to express themselves in a way about gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders without dealing with human sexuality.

The education program, that teachers by law must adhere to, provides that gay and lesbian are three to four times more likely to attempt suicide and are nearly seven times more likely to be threatened or injured at school. That insults and threats against gays or lesbians (or those perceived to be gay or lesbian) are far more common than any other verbal attacks on school sites.

School Districts must provide 1) Anti-slur and anti-harassment policies that specify that the district will not tolerate harassment based on sexual orientation or gender non-conformity. 2) Hiring and promotion policies which guarantee protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender non-conformity. 3) Controversial issue policies that provide a broad spectrum of beliefs and that allow for their questions to be answered. 4) A climate that fosters support for students who want to start gay/straight alliance clubs. 5) Textual and audio-visual materials adoption policies that ensure the materials will be free not only of gender and racial bias, but also of bias based on sexual orientation.

Teachers are legally obligated to emphasize there exists a separation of church and state in the United States. Students must be taught differences that include sexual orientation. That this does not infringe on any religious beliefs.

The facts are teachers are seriously intimidated if they disagree with the policies on instruction about homosexuals and sexual orientation -- because to violate these policies means severe implications in terms of job performance appraisals and possible loss of job. This is the product of the Homosexual Agenda supported by the Democrats in California and in other States. It is the policy supported by Democrats in the Congress -- the Senate and House of Representatives.





PS: a related link from the Sheepdog can be found here and the lead artcle is of importance for those with school age children