Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 08:45:39 -0700 From: jessea@uclink4.berkeley.edu (Jessea NR Greenman) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- According to Wayne Friday, columnist for the San Francisco Bay Area Reporter (5/30/96), "High school administrators in Hacienda Heights, Los Angeles County, decided last week to let a lesbian high school senior bring her female lover to the prom." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Various religious political extremist initiatives against public education (note: new RPE language and tactics -- CAPITALIZED): In CA, a campaign to place private school voucher initiatives on the ballot has failed, but the RPE is pressing forward in the conservative- controlled state legislature. One RPE front group behind the voucher effort was called Californians for EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM. Another is the COALITION TO EDUCATE AMERICA. Despite having acknowledged that: "You need to have public sentiment on your side... [to win a CHOICE* initiative] That takes a very strong organization with deep roots... We see no evidence of that in California, the COALITION TO EDUCATE AMERICA is pushing ahead in the state assembly with a voucher scheme disguised as "OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS." *note the gratuituously confusing RPE use of the word "CHOICE," which they are trying to expropriate from the abortion rights movement. Analysis by Americans United for Separation of Church and State (_Church and State_, May 1996, p. 18): "Legislative efforts to subsidize private schools through vouchers or tax credits have apparently failed in CO, CT, ID, KS, KY, MD, NM, and UT. At press time, battles were still underway in AZ, FL, IL, and MO. [Anyone have updates on these? if so, please email to ] Also according to _Church and State_, May 1996 (p. 15) , a Wisconsin voucher case has become a major showdown over church-state relations. In the matter, the RPE tried to expand the "SCHOOL CHOICE" experiment already happening in Milwaukee, where school choice presently means only that parents can elect from among public and **nonsectarian private** schools. The WI Supreme Court deadlocked 3-3 on the case back in late March of '96, so the matter goes back to the lower courts. Among those favoring the expansion of tax subsidies for use in parochial and other private religious schools were Pat Robertson's AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE [remember, CAPS designate RPE language]. Finally, again from _Church and State_, May 1996 (p.3), a Washington DC judge put a stop to RPE efforts to place a school prayer initiative on the DC ballot, ruling that a long line of Supreme Court decisions indicate that school prayer is "patently unconstitutional." Meanwhile, legislation permitting public schools to post historical documents with religious references and passages from the Congressional Record is quite far along in IL and making headway in Alaska, FL, GA, IA, KS, MS, and WA. This legislation is dubbed the "AMERICAN HERITAGE BILL," and you should be on the alert in case it crops up in your state. O+O+ O+O+ O+O+ O+O+ O+O+ O+O+ Jessea NR Greenman, The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) CHECK OUT OUR INFO-LOADED WEB PAGE AT http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/ "To find the truth in what you oppose, and the error in what you espouse." Robert Nash, discussing "The Moral Conversation." Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 09:49:35 -0700 From: jessea@uclink4.berkeley.edu (Jessea NR Greenman) Subject: Web address for news story on Philadelphia PA prom ----------------------------------------------- From: ebiebel@ix.netcom.com Date: Wed, 5 Jun 96 12:07:49 PDT Subject: Re:Inquirer Alternative Prom Story. To: schools@mtcc.com Chris Purdom wrote: >The Philadelphia Inquirer ran a feature story on the alternative prom >in the Tuesday edition, complete with a color photo of 2 male couples >in tuxes dancing. They explained the problems that queer kids have >at regular proms, interviewed the kids and the chaperones, explained >what "transsexual meant" and gave a prononciation guide for "GLSTN". For those with a web browser, you can read the actual article at the phillynews web site: http://www2.phillynews.com/inquirer/96/Jun/04/lifestyle/PROM04.htm The Inquirer archives articles on-line for 7 days and then they are moved "somewhere else". :-) Take care and keep safe, Ed (Who is very pleasantly surprised that a faculty member from his old high school was mentioned in the article. :-) ) ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- O+O+ O+O+ O+O+ O+O+ O+O+ O+O+ Jessea NR Greenman, The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) CHECK OUT OUR INFO-LOADED WEB PAGE AT http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/ "To find the truth in what you oppose, and the error in what you espouse." Robert Nash, discussing "The Moral Conversation."