Subject: strictly fyi: RIGHT WING WATCH
From: Ryan Schwartz <ryan@hummingbirdink.com>
Date: 2/3/2012 3:09 PM
To: NEWS@safeschoolscoalition.org

Dear Safe Schools Coalition Members and Friends:

1. New Hampshire allows parents to opt students out of any lesson with broadest 'parents rights' legislation in the US
2. Weekly Standard sends out extreme anti-LGBT lies to make advertising dollars
3. Lies of Tennessee "Don't Say Gay' Sponsor spiraling out of control
4. Scott Lively: GSAs designed for "socially awkward misfits" with "a bunch of acne" 

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1. New Hampshire allows parents to opt students out of any lesson with broadest 'parents rights' legislation in the US
Earlier this month, the New Hampshire legislature approved a bill that would allow parents/guardians to pull their youth out of any lesson plans for any reason. Under the banner of 'parents rights,' proponents of the bill have managed to build support for the broadest legislation to give individual parents powers over dictating school curriculum anywhere in the US. 
Upon written notification, schools are now forced to create an alternative curriculum for specific students, paid for by parents. 
The new law takes effect this month, after the legislature overrode the governor's veto. The sponsor of the bill homeschools his children. Read an analysis of the debates around the law from the Christian Science Monitor. Educators worry that the law will disrupt classrooms and create burdens on already over-worked educators, and everything from lessons in science to history to foreign languages (not to mention LGBT-inclusive materials) are potentially on the chopping block. 

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2. Weekly Standard sends out extreme anti-LGBT lies to make advertising dollars
The Weekly Standard, a conservative magazine and website, sent out a sponsored fundraising message from a notoriously hateful anti-LGBT activist with divisive and extreme misinformation about the Student Non-Discrimination Act. With the subject line "Congress to mandate pro-homosexual education?" the email claimed the non-discrimination act would mandate sexual instruction about "appalling homosexual acts." Soon after, the magazine's publisher announced that their "vetting system" has broken down and denounced the decision to run the ad, even though he fell short of condemning the email. The fear-raising and paranoid advertisement created an immediate backlash, and even though it was widely criticized from people of all political viewpoints, might have drawn attention to an immature anti-LGBT activist. 

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3. Lies of Tennessee "Don't Say Gay' Sponsor spiraling out of control
The sponsor of Tennessee's "Don't Say Gay" bill (which would ban mention of any other sexuality besides heterosexuality in grades K-8) has been on a media blitz recently, letting loose a string of over-the-top ridiculous statements. Stacey Campfield appeared on Mike Signorile's radio show, saying that it was "virtually impossible to contract AIDS through heterosexual sex" and that "the bullying thing is the biggest lark out there." A few days later, he appeared on the David Pakman show to state that insurers charge gay men more because their life span is 24 years shorter than the average person. His remarks provoked a response in his hometown paper, with people writing in to say he feeds a stereotype of the misinformed, ignorant southerner. When pressed for citations for his information, his repetitive reply was "google it." For those statements, Politifact Tennessee graded Campfield "pant's on fire" for being outright wrong. The "don't say gay" bull will be discussed by the state's house education subcommittee on February 8th.

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4. 
Scott Lively: GSAs designed for "socially awkward misfits" with "a bunch of acne" 
Scott Lively, the president of Abiding Truth Ministries recently told a church audience that school gay-straight alliances (GSAs) are designed so €śmisfits€ť that €śhave a bunch of acne€ť or are €śsocially awkward€ť will €śstart adopting a gay identity.€ť His comments feed on paranoia about youth and sexuality, and the idea that GSAs will change students' sexuality. They also completely ignore the growing popularity of the clubs, which are at the forefront of creating safer school climates for all students.

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