Posted on 09/25/2006 8:07:02 PM PDT by FairOpinion
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill Sept. 6 that conservatives say would have prevented schools from giving both sides of the debate over homosexuality.
The bill, SB 1437, would have prohibited teachers, school districts, textbooks and instructional materials from presenting anything that "reflects adversely upon persons" because of their "sexual orientation." The bill also would have prohibited instructional materials containing "sectarian or denominational doctrine or propaganda" regarding homosexuality. Presumably, that would have prevented materials from saying that homosexuality is anything but natural.
A section of the bill requiring the teaching of "gay history" was stripped weeks ago in hopes of making the bill less controversial and more acceptable for Schwarzenegger. But he nonetheless vetoed the bill, and in a statement said California law "already specifically protects against discrimination to groups based on their sexual orientation."
"No teacher or textbook in our schools should ever intentionally demean or disparage any group in our society, including discrimination based on sexual orientation," Schwarzenegger said.
The bill was sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, a lesbian and a member of the California Legislative Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Caucus.
Pro-family groups applauded Schwarzenegger's veto. Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family Action called the bill "dangerous legislation."
"If passed, it would have had grave implications for children and families — not just in California, but across the country — by forcing all public-school teachers to present a one-sided message about homosexuality, bisexuality and transgender issues to students as young as 5," Minnery said in a statement.
The final version of the bill passed the Assembly 47-31 and the Senate 22-16.
Conservatives now are pressuring Schwarzenegger to veto two other bills that promote homosexuality:
• AB 1056 would establish a "tolerance education pilot program," providing 10 schools $25,000 apiece to implement a tolerance program for students. According to the bill, the programs must address discrimination based on "sexual orientation" as well as "actual or perceived gender."
• AB 606 would require the California Department of Education to adopt an anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy based on "actual or perceived gender identity" and "sexual orientation." School districts that don't implement the policy would lose state funding.
Both bills have passed the Assembly and Senate. (BP)
All of this is being done without any scientific evidence that homosexual behavior is anything but an acquired trait.
It would be something if they proved a gay gene, but they have not.
Why...why does homosexuality get special treatment?
Good for him.
Good news.
These cretins keep pushing it. Someday a vote for something like this will be a political deathnel.
That bill would never have lasted. It would have outlawed any discussion of the Bible in school, since there are things in there that "reflect adversely" on homosexuals. Anyway, I still can't fathom why some on these boards continue to say there is no reason to vote for Arnold over Angelides. That just doesn't make sense if you think this was a good decision - which it obviously was.
...."All of this is being done without any scientific evidence that homosexual behavior is anything but an acquired trait.
It would be something if they proved a gay gene, but they have not.
Why...why does homosexuality get special treatment?"....
Exactly! All the libs want to tell you "I was born that way".... How long before we hear that as a defense in a murder or rape trial?? "I was just born that way, I had to kill them"??
The screwballs will never admit that it is simply sick behavior.... Now they want to teach it to five year olds?? Yup, sounds about average for the libs....
"All of this is being done without any scientific evidence that homosexual behavior is anything but an acquired trait. "
And any evidence that homosexuality is an acquired trait then? Can a normal, heterosexual who has been exposed to homosexual acts wake up tomorrow and become homosexual himself?
If I am forced to live with homosexuals, I might become "used to" it and not feel uncomfortable around flamboyant gays, but won't suddenly say "I think I will become a homo for the day". That is just ridiculous and unthinkable.
Canada and Europe are already arresting clergy for quoting from the Bible.
Next:
AB 606 - Safe Place to Learn Act
Assemblymember Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys)
Would require school districts to establish and publicize an antidiscrimination and anti-harassment policy that prohibits discrimination and harassment as specified under current law, including, but not limited to, actual or perceived gender identity and sexual orientation and provides penalties for school districts found to be in violation of that law, including withholding relevant state funding to school districts.
Status: Enrolled. Awaiting Governor's signature.AB 1056 - Tolerance Education Pilot Program
Assemblymember Chu, D-Monterey Park
Would require the State Board of Education to develop a pilot project integrating intergroup relations and tolerance curriculum into the English and Social Science framework. Would direct the Board of Education to consult with human relations commissions and individuals and groups that are protected by California’s hate crimes legislation. Defines tolerance to mean "attitudes and behaviors that convey respect toward individuals and groups, especially those individuals and groups that have been, and continue to be, systematically and historically marginalized. Tolerance does not mean a passive allowance or indulgence of the beliefs or practices of another individual."
Status: Enrolled. Awaiting Governor's signature.AB 1160 - Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act
Assemblymember Sally Lieber (D-San Jose)
Would amend jury instructions to state that the use of societal bias, including so-called "panic strategies," to influence any criminal trial or proceeding is not permitted. It would also appropriate $125,000 to the Office of the Attorney General to develop materials for county prosecutors explaining how panic strategies are used to encourage jurors to respond to societal bias and providing best practices for preventing bias from affecting the outcome of a trial. This legislation is named in the memory of a transgender teenager from Newark, Calif., who was attacked and killed in 2002.
Status: Enrolled. Awaiting Governor's signature.SB 1827 - State Income Tax Equity Act of 2006
Senator Carole Migden (D-San Francisco)
Amends the tax and family codes to enable registered domestic partners to require registered domestic partners to file a personal income tax return jointly or separately by applying the standards applicable to married couples under federal income tax law.
Status: Enrolled. Awaiting Governor's signature.AB 2800 - Civil Rights Housing Act of 2006
Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz)
Would standardize various housing-related nondiscrimination provisions in California law to make them consistent with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, sex (including gender identity), marital status, sexual orientation, familial status and source of income. AB 2800 is the third bill in a series of nondiscrimination bills authored by Assemblymember Laird to modify major sections of the California Code to specify that people are protected from discrimination regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. (See also AB 2900, Employment: Discrimination, passed in 2004 and AB 1400, The Unruh Civil Rights Act of 2005 signed in November 2005)
Status: Enrolled. Awaiting Governor's signature.AB 2920 - Older Californians Equality and Protection Act
Assemblymember Mark Leno (D-San Francisco)
Would amend the Welfare and Institutions Act to add actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as other categories currently protected under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), to the list of factors that the Department of Aging and Area Agencies on Aging consider when assessing the need for state services and planning how to implement them.
Status: Enrolled. Awaiting Governor's signature.AB 1207 - Code of Fair Campaign Practices
Speaker pro Tem Leland Yee (D-San Francisco)
Would prohibit the use of any negative appeal based on sexual orientation or gender identity by candidates or campaign committees who sign the voluntary pledge provided for in the Code of Fair Campaign Practices.
Status: Enrolled. Awaiting Governor's signature.AB 2051 - Equality in Prevention and Services for Domestic Abuse Act
Assemblymember Rebecca Cohn (D-Saratoga)
Would establish the Equality in Prevention and Services for Domestic Abuse Fund, a continuously appropriated fund to establish training and services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) victims of domestic violence. The fund would support a variety of initiatives, including an educational brochure on LGBT domestic abuse to be distributed along with domestic partnership certificates, grants to support shelters that serve LGBT victims of domestic abuse, and LGBT-specific trainings for law enforcement and domestic violence service providers.
Status: Enrolled. Awaiting Governor's signature.AB 2076 - Drug paraphernalia: clean needle and syringe exchange projects.
Assemblymember Laird, D-Santa Cruz
Would allow state General Funds for HIV prevention to support locally-authorized needle exchange programs and allow such programs to use funds to purchase sterile hypodermic needles and syringes.
Status: Enrolled. Awaiting Governor's signature.AB 2510 - Pupils: survey: harassment
Assembly Member Ted Lieu, D-El Segundo
Requires local education agencies to administer a survey of the experience of pupils with harassment and bullying, including bias-related discrimination and harassment based on race, religion, disability, and actual or perceived gender identity and sexual orientation as specified in current law and require the Attorney General to prepare an annual report based on these surveys.
Status: Enrolled. Awaiting Governor's signature.SB 1654 - Voting: absentee ballot
Senator Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento
Existing law authorizes eligible voters to vote by absentee ballot and authorizes a county elections official to deliver an absentee ballot to the absent voter's spouse or parent. This bill would additionally authorize delivery of an absentee ballot to the absentee voter's child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, or a person residing in the same household as the absent voter, who is 16 years of age or older. This would include any cohabitating domestic partner.
Status: Enrolled. Awaiting Governor's signature.AB 2386 - Code of Fair Campaign Practices
Assembly Member Jenny Oropeza, D-Carson
Would require the California Secretary of State to post the Code of Fair Campaign Practices on his or her website, along with a list of candidates for state or federal office who have subscribed to the code. The passage of this bill and AB 1207 would allow Californians to know which candidates have agreed to avoid campaign practices that denigrate lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons.
Status: Enrolled. Awaiting Governor's signature.SB 1437 - Bias Free Cirriculum Act
Senator Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica)
Prohibits instruction, or the adoption of any instructional material, that reflects adversely on persons due to sexual orientation. Revises the social sciences course of study to include study of the role and contributions of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender to the development of California and the nation with emphasis on their role in contemporary society.
Status: Vetoed by the Governor 09/06/06. Read veto message HereSB 1441 - Nondiscrimination in State Programs and Activities
Senator Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica)
Would add "sexual orientation" to the characteristics on which discrimination may not be based, in any program or activity that is conducted, operated, or administered by the state or any state agency or by any agency funded directly by the state or that receives any financial assistance from the state. The bill also would incorporate the definition of "sex" and "sexual orientation" contained in the Fair Employment and Housing Act into this provision relating to state and state-funded programs or activities, and clarify that the perception of any of the characteristics listed in the anti-discrimination statute is also covered.
Status: Signed by the Governor 8/28/06
too close
I don't mind admitting my ignorance on FR, so what is "actual or perceived gender identity"? Should I, as a woman, be offended if someone "perceives" me to be a woman? And if someone "perceives" me to be a man, perhaps I'd better do something about my hair and put on a little more lipstick.
It's the standard vote--all Republicans voting against it, all Democrats voting for it.
Well, k d Lang comes to mind as to one possible example:
Or is that Clay Aiken?
Arnold is a budding political genius.
He's running left of center in many ways, but every now and then he makes a hard U-turn and vetoes some liberal atrocity like this bill. So moderates will turn out in large numbers to vote for him, conservatives will grumble but mostly support him, and many liberals will join in to vote for a winner who they can tolerate.
Meanwhile, Phil Angelides is searching for a coherent message that resonates beyond the 8-10% of the electorate that he still can count on, the far left and the teachers.
interesting question. the perception would come from the individual, who may or may not perceive himself/herself to be of the gender identity they were given at birth (in other words, they may have the pieces and parts to convince a doctor to announce "you have a son" but the individual may perceive himself to be a woman despite his pieces and parts, as well as dna). clear as mud, eh? this concept of "perceived identity" is even finding its way into elementary schools, where in some schools a student is treated according to their perceived identity (little boys may dress, act and be treated as little girls as young as 5 (kindergarten).
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