Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 18:11:30 -0700 From: Jean Richter Subject: 5/25/2000 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news, pt. 2 1. MA: GLSEN under fire from religious right 2. TX: Gay youth rally against anti-gay conference 3. OH: Students ask board to ban anti-gay harassment ========================================================== 1. MA: GLSEN under fire from religious right Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 17:27:12 -0700 To: SCHOOLS List From: John Lindner Subject: FYI: Context Matters: investigative report into allegations re Boston/GLSEN conference [Collated and forwarded for you information. -- John Lindner, SCHOOLS Listowner] As you may have heard, some conservative groups, led by Americans for Truth (http://www.americansfortruth.org/) held a press conference last week accusing GLSEN/Boston and members of the Massachusetts Departments of Education and Public Health of instructing minors in graphic depictions of gay sexual activity. The Boston Globe reports (5/2/2000) that the Massachusetts Department of Education is investigating the incident. http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/123/metro/Graphic_content_alleged_at_gay_lesbian_meeting+.shtml Cindy Beal, founder of Justice and Peace Consulting, has written an investigative report with many links, including ones to both versions of the accusatory article from the Massachusetts News, an ultra-conservative journal. CONTEXT MATTERS An investigation into the allegations contained in the article "Kids Get Graphic Instruction In Homosexual Sex State sponsored conference featured detailed sexual material" http://www.bridges-across.org/ba/tidh/context.htm Both Focus on the Family and Family Research Council have now put out releases concerning the Boston GLSEN conference. FRC's is in Peter LaBarbera's Culture Facts May 3, 2000 - Vol. 3, No. 18 GLSEN Workshop Guides Underage Youth In 'Gay' Sex Techniques http://www.frc.org/subscribe/docs/cl01e.html [sorry, this URL doesn't seem to work] Focus on the Family http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/A0011260.html ADVANCES IN SCHOOLS: Homosexual activist group is having an effect. Gay Agenda Advances in Schools Americans for Truth http://www.americansfortruth.org/ Massachusetts News http://www.massnews.com/ The Parents Rights Coalition http://www.parentsrightscoalition.org "Statement on Homosexuality" (dated 3/24/00) http://www.parentsrightscoalition.org/Contents/Writings/Statement.htm A widely circulated (and graphic) email about the Boston GLSEN conference is posted online at http://www.bridges-across.org/ba/tidh/camenker_email.htm Date: Fri, 05 May 2000 17:16:51 -0400 To: SCHOOLS From: Maggie Heineman Subject: Another article re GLSEN/Boston allegations Yesterday the Conservative News Service came out with a story headlined "GLSEN threatens parent with legal action." first paragraph: > > (CNSNews.com) - The Boston chapter of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight > Education Network has threatened to take legal action against a > Massachusetts parent if he publishes a tape he made at a homosexual > issues seminar in which state educators allegedly used graphic sexual > language to describe homosexual sex to minors. I have added a link to Cindy Beal's "Context Matters" (which is an investigative report on the allegations) to another page with links to all the news articles, webpages, letters, and fund raising letters about the controversy. Not that the fund raising letters have started yet. My guess is the story won't be noticed by mainstream media until conservative columnists like Linda Bowles or Cal Thomas begin writing about it. Again, the url for Cindy Beal's report is www.bridges-across.org/b a/tidh/context.htm ~maggie ============================================================================ 2. TX: Gay youth rally against anti-gay conference Austin American-Statesman, May 5, 2000 Box 670, Austin, TX, 78767 (Fax 512-445-3679 ) (E-MAIL: letters@statesman.com ) ( http://www.austin360.com/ ) Gays to rally against Dallas conference By Tracie Powell, American-Statesman Staff As an expected 800 people gather in Dallas this weekend to discuss how to discourage the acceptance of homosexuality in public schools, about 200 Austin gay and lesbian youth are expected to dress up for a prom night and host a diversity rally. While national organizers for Focus on the Family, a Colorado-based Christian group, will discuss how they say people can change their sexual orientation, Out Youth Austin organizers say they will celebrate sexual, religious and cultural differences. [Deleted article. filemanager@qrd.org] * You may contact Tracie Powell at tpowell@statesman.com or 445-3673. ================================================================================= 3. OH: Students ask board to ban anti-gay harassment Associated Press, May 5, 2000 N. Olmsted students call for stop to harassment of gay classmates NORTH OLMSTED ­ A group of suburban Cleveland students has asked the school board to stop alleged harassment of homosexual students by classmates. The 40-member Spectrum student group plans to present evidence of harassment of students who are gay or perceived as gay at the board's June 1 meeting. [Deleted article. filemanager@qrd.org] ================================================================================= Jean Richter -- richter@eecs.berkeley.edu The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) These messages are archived by state on our information-loaded free web site: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/