April 4, 1993

TEACHERS TO OPPOSE ANTI-GAY INITIATIVE

by David Woolsey
The Idaho Statesman

     GARDEN CITY -- Idaho's statewide teacher
organization joined opponents of a proposed anti-gay
initiative Saturday and may funnel money to fight the
measure next year.
     The 10,000 member Idaho Education Association is
considered one of the state's most powerful lobbying
groups, routinely spending thousands of dollars on
political campaigns and initiatives that affect
education.
     Saturday's action gives the first indication that
the IEA will become an active opponent of the initiative,
which would prohibit civil rights protections from being
enacted specifically for homosexuals and forbid teachers
for presenting homosexuality in a positive light.
     "We have a number of philosophical principles that
go back to 1982 dealing with civil rights, academic
freedom and plurality, and based on those, we are opposed
to the initiative,"  IEA President Richard Chilcote said.
     Representatives of the Idaho Citizens Alliance, the
group sponsoring the initiative, could not be reached
Saturday.
     About 400 delegates from 56 school districts met
Saturday in Garden City.
     The majority of the delegates at the statewide
assembly voted for the association to send literature to
all its members outlining how the initiative would affect
teachers and then to consider using IEA money to fight
the proposal.
     Delegate Mark Cannon of St. Anthony asked that the
IEA consider spending money only "in regard to" the
proposal rather than to specifically oppose it.  That
failed on a voice vote.
     Cannon said that, because IEA members disagree over
the issue, the assembly should not adopt language that
assumes money would be used against the initiative.
     Other delegates argued that existing IEA resolutions
and policies are violated by the initiative, so the only
appropriate way to spend money would be to help
opponents.     Delegates will decide at the April 1994
meeting whether and how much money to spend.

 IEA ACTION

     The Idaho Education Association approved this action
Saturday:
     "The IEA will undertake an educational effort with
association membership to provide information regarding
the impact of the initiative being circulated by the
Idaho Citizens Alliance.  the 1994 Delegate Assembly will
determine whether the association will expend financial
resources in opposition to this initiative."