Subject: strictly fyi: RIGHT WING WATCH
From: Ryan Schwartz <ryan@hummingbirdink.com>
Date: 9/8/2011 2:01 PM
To: NEWS@safeschoolscoalition.org

Dear Safe Schools Coalition members and friends:

RIGHT WING WATCH  

(1) Focus on the Family kicks off the school year, promotes anti-LGBT school activism site
(2) California anti-gay activists launch referendum to keep LGBT history out of classrooms
(3) Toronto Catholic Schools pass some LGBT-protections, extremists threaten to pull students out of school
(4) In light of lawsuit, Anoka-Hennepin conservatives start petitioning 
(5) Alliance Defense Fund defends school censorship of LGBT sites as keeping kids from porn

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(1) 
Focus on the Family kicks off the school year, promotes anti-LGBT school activism site
Focus on the Family celebrated back to school this year by inviting Candi Cushman, their education spokesperson, on their online TV program citizenlink. You can watch the program here, and listen to her jabs and new federal safe schools funding, LGBT-inclusive curriculum and anti-bullying efforts. On the program, Candi calls attention to education about transgender issues, calling it the new wave of activism. Focus on the Family is promoting their website www.truetolerance.org, a place for parents to "respond to homosexual advocacy in your child's school in a loving and fact-based way." Their take action page is full of materials, sample letters and talking points, including a list of inclusive teaching materials to be on the watch for. 
 
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(2) 
California anti-gay activists launch referendum to keep LGBT history out of classrooms
With a cover image reminiscent of Children of the Corn, Family Research Council's new After advocacy efforts paid off and Gov. Brown of California signed into a law requiring schools to teach about LGBT history and role models, right-wing activists launched a petition drive to keep the law from implementation. On July 25, California officials gave an OK for anti-gay groups to begin collecting signatures to force a popular vote on the matter in the next state-wide election. With an official name of "Referendum to Overturn Non-Discrimination Requirements for School Instruction," the proposal requires half a million signatures by October 12 to be placed on the ballot. Visit http://stopsb48.com/ to learn more about their efforts, and keep an eye on talking points and churches involved in the effort. Also keep an eye out for the interesting conversations happening on the drive's facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/StopSB48), and let Equality California know if you spot a signature collector in your neighborhood (http://www.facebook.com/EqualityCalifornia). 

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(3) 
Toronto Catholic Schools pass some LGBT-protections, extremists threaten to pull students out of school
While a debate raged all summer about passing LGBT protections in the Toronto Catholic Schools, board members ended up passing watered down protections last week. The debates centered on Catholic teaching about homosexuality, and the rights of students to form clubs such as GSAs. At some points the debate got silly, focusing in symbolism such as the use of rainbows in safe spaces. The new protections were put in place despite threats of pulling students out of school. In August, a priest said he would organize the departure of 5,000 families from the schools if the new policies were passed. 

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(4) In light of lawsuit, Anoka-Hennepin conservatives start petitioning 
The Anoka-Hennepin School District is the focus of a lawsuit on behalf of students hurt by unchecked anti-LGBT bullying. The lawsuit by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights accuses the district of not protecting students from anti-LGBT bulling, and clinging to a censorship policy that prevents school staff from addressing homophobia. In light of the lawsuit, the conservative Parents Action League gathered 1,052 signatures to ask the school board to keep the policy. They even got an ex-gay to attend the meeting and say gay activism is all about recruiting young people into a destructive life. On a more positive note, hundreds of young people and their families attended the first ever Anoka-Hennepin youth pride event over the summer. Settlement talks for the lawsuit are still underway.

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(4) In light of lawsuit, Anoka-Hennepin conservatives start petitioning 
The Anoka-Hennepin School District is the focus of a lawsuit on behalf of students hurt by unchecked anti-LGBT bullying. The lawsuit by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights accuses the district of not protecting students from anti-LGBT bulling, and clinging to a censorship policy that prevents school staff from addressing homophobia. In light of the lawsuit, the conservative Parents Action League gathered 1,052 signatures to ask the school board to keep the policy. They even got an ex-gay to attend the meeting and say gay activism is all about recruiting young people into a destructive life. On a more positive note, hundreds of young people and their families attended the first ever Anoka-Hennepin youth pride event over the summer. Settlement talks for the lawsuit are still underway.

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(5) Alliance Defense Fund defends school censorship of LGBT sites as keeping kids from porn
Conservative organizations have once again sexualized children and denigrated LGBT people by arguing school censorship issues as being about access to pornography. The move comes in response to an ACLU campaign to lift censorship of LGBT sites that contribute to the mental health of young people, such as the It Gets Better video project. Calling the effort "the public school porn initiative," the ADF sent letters to school districts targeted by the ACLU campaign. The ACLU responded to the accusations by pointing out that sexually explicit sites are already filtered because they contain adult material. 

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