Subject: Action Alert re Des Moines IA School Board || Action needed vs. CA voucher bill || Anyone know more about this CO issue?
From: [email-masked] (Jessea NR Greenman)
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1996 06:44:10 -0700 (PDT)

>From <[email-masked]>
of the Iowa Coalition for Human Rights...

"Calling all individuals interested in civil equality for LGBT individuals
(and that would mean everybody, correct?).

Concerned Parents of Des Moines has offered a petition to the Des Moines
school board requesting that the board rescind the employment
non-discrimination policy which covers LGB individuals. This is the same
group which spear-headed the effort to vote Jonathan Wilson out of his
position on the school board.  This group, using scare tactics common to
religious political extremists, has suggested that the sexual orientation
policy covers pedophiles and child molesters.

An immediate response to their actions is required by all concerned
individuals.  Those who live within the Des Moines public school district
should call school board members requesting they reaffirm the current policy.
John Phoenix, President (H) 515-288-0759
Jacquie Easley (W) 515-245-2194
Jane Hein (H) 515-287-2700
Harold Sandahl (H) 515-277-3357
Liz Goodwin (H) 515-279-0703
Suzette Jensen (H) 515-266-7908
Laura Sands (H) 515-279-3424

Letters to school board members can come from all over the state & should be
sent to:  Board of Education, Central Campus, 1800 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA
 50309.

Letters to the editor of the Des Moines Register, stating your opposition to
the effort to change the existing policy are also important.  Direct them to:
Letters
The Des Moines Register
PO Box 957
Des Moines, Iowa 50304
Fax: 515-286-2511
EMAIL:  [email-masked]
Letters must include, address & daytime phone to be published.

In addition, an effort is being put forth to gather signatures on a petition.
 Canvassers are desperately needed!  Anyone who would like to circulate a
petition, sign a petition, or help gather signatures through a canvassing
effort is welcome to attend.  We will meet at the Interfaith Alliance office
(Wesley Foundation), 2718 University Ave, Des Moines on April 21 at 1:00pm.
Please contact Jean at 279-8715 or Peg at 284-0245 for more info.  EMail
requests for info. may be directed to Peg at <[email-masked]>

Thanks for your activism on this very important issue!"

---------------------------------
from Molleen Matsumura <[email-masked]>
at the National Center for Science Education:

CALIFORNIA UPDATE:
     A voucher bill, sponsored by Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle (R-Garden
Grove), is scheduled for a hearing in the California Assembly on
Wednesday, April 17th.
 This bill allows for "opportunity scholarships," another name for
vouchers, to be given to students who attend "low-achieving schools" for
the purpose of enrolling in alternative schools, including parochial and
other private schools.
     Under the U.S. Constitution, as well as the California Constitution,
government may not subsidize religious education.  If tax dollars are
funneled to religious denominations in the form of school vouchers, all
citizens will be paying taxes to support religion.
     Furthermore, the government typically regulates what it funds.
Voucher assistance therefore opens the door to government regulation of
private schools, jeopardizing their independence.  ACTION NEEDED:
     Your help is needed to halt this or any other school voucher
legislation. The Governor and your elected state representatives need to
hear your opposition to vouchers.  They also need to hear your voice while
this public hearing on the issue is occurring.
Not only is this unconstitutional, but also
our taxes go there, without our being able to touch the curriculum
or discriminatory hiring practices of private schools.

     You can call
the Governor at (916) 445-2841, and your state Senator and your state
Representative at (916) 445-3614 to express your views of the issue and
this hearing.
     Thanks for your help and continued support.
-------------------------------
resend: this is re COLORADO, not Kansas as formerly indicated:

ANYONE KNOW ANY MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIS?...[if so,
please write to <[email-masked]> with details]

Aurora, COLORADO --according to the associated press,
in feb. or march of this year, posters with a message of
tolerance about lesbians and gays were banned from the
hallways of Smoky Hill High School.  the banning was
done by the assistant principal, Michael Murphy,
since the principal, Mary Jarvis, was out of town.
Murphy's rationale was that, though he supports the "concept
 of tolerance," but did not think the message was
"appropriate" for the school building and feared that some
students might react violently.  The posters had the
name of the student club involved, which is "Homosexuals
Heterosexuals Alliance Reaching for Tolerance."
Murphy is reported to have indicated that "he would allow"
the group to have posters spelling out its name in classrooms
of teachers who didn't object, but that the posters could NOT
include what he termed "explicit messages" OR the words
"homosexual, gay or lesbian."  For posting in nonclassroom
sectors of the school, Murphy stipulated that posters have
to use the group's acronym (HHART) rather than spell
out its full name.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+
OK TO RE-POST.  Jessea Greenman <[email-masked]>
The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation
Nationally)
CHECK THIS OUT FOR TONS OF INFO - -
http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/   Please cc us (for our files) on
correspondence you send or receive re our action alerts.