Posted on 04/23/2013 11:25:09 AM PDT by NYer
Red Hook, New York – A recent anti-bullying presentation at a middle school in New York that focused on homosexuality and gender identity has angered parents after their daughters have come home to tell them they were forced to ask another girl for a kiss.
According to reports, the session occurred last week at Linden Avenue Middle School in Red Hook, New York, near Poughkeepsie. A group of students from Bard College led two workshops for the youth, separated by gender.
During the workshop for girls, the 13 and 14-year-olds were told to ask one another for a kiss. They were also taught words such as “pansexual” and “genderqueer.”
Parent Mandy Coon told reporters that her daughter was very uncomfortable with the exercise.
“She told me, ‘Mom, we all get teased and picked on enough; now I’m going to be called a lesbian because I had to ask another girl if I could kiss her,’” she lamented. “They also picked two girls to stand in front of the class and pretend they were lesbians on a date.”
Coon stated that she was especially irate over the matter because parents were given no warning about the presentations, nor an opportunity to opt out. She is also dismayed that college students were granted the right to come into the classroom and encourage her daughter to be sexually active.
“I am furious,” she declared. “I am her parent. Where does anyone get the right to tell her that it’s okay for her to have sex?”
“The school is overstepping its bounds in not notifying parents first and giving us the choice,” another parent remarked. “I thought it was very inappropriate. That kind of instruction is best left up to the parents.”
According to reports, during the workshop for the adolescent boys, the students were counseled to keep a condom in their pocket at all times, and were taught how to identify a woman who is a “slut.”
“I was absolutely furious – really furious,” an anonymous parent told reporter Todd Starnes. “These are just kids. I’m dumbfounded that they found this class was appropriate.”
However, both the school principal and the district superintendent are defending the workshops, and are advising that they will schedule more. Superintendent Paul Finch told The Poughkeepsie Journal that the presentation was “focused on improving culture, relationships, communication and self-perceptions.”
“[We] may require more notification to parents” in the future, he said, contending that the sessions are required under the state Dignity for All Students Act, which prohibits harassment and bullying in the classroom.
He advised that Principal Katie Zahedi and guidance counselors at the school worked with Bard students to plan the workshops. Likewise, Mark Primoff, a spokesman for Bard College, said that students had volunteered to give the presentation after the school invited the institution of higher learning to participate in the workshops.
Zahedi asserts that the sessions were rather about saying no to unwanted advances as opposed to encouraging homosexual acts.
“In planning the discussion, we made it clear that absolutely no discussion of any sexual acts is appropriate to middle school, and they used the examples of a kiss,” she wrote in an online forum for parents. “It was a separate activity for boys and girls and ultimately about respect and safety.”
However, parents remain livid over the matter. A public meeting was held this week for residents to express their concerns.
It is not known whether girls actually had to kiss one another, or if the exercise stopped at the request.
The ancient athenians has a law that stoned any adult caught with a minor.
In ancient days this teacher would have probably suffered the same fate.
I’ve found that those who have the tolerance stickers and shout tolerance are the most bigoted disgusting, hateful people out there
I have wondered about the history of sexual deviancy in Western society: Is it possible that periods of so-called discrimination of homosexuals has been preceeded by aggressive sexual deviancy as we are witnessing now?
Do I have a firm grasp of the obvious?
Arrest the organizers for child abuse.
“Standing up in front of a bunch of junior teens and giving a speech is one thing - participation in what appears to be some type of immature sex game is another. The parents need to file complaints and seek civil suits against the school board, superintendent, principal, and the teacher(s) that set this stupid program up & seek out the college reps that taught this to their students...they all need to resign or be fired! Then a message would be sent loud and clear!”
Exactly, and seek criminal suits for sexual abuse and emotional distress as well.
ping
It’s time to start prosecuting these people. Doesn’t New York have some code about “corruption of a minor” or something?
I say “prosecuting” because there are folks who might think “hanging” would be a bit premature...
Making children perform sexually, and watching, is child abuse. Those people should be registered as sex offenders.
Is this a true statement?
It can't possibly be a true statement if the boys "were counseled to keep a condom in their pocket at all times." It would be an example of saying yes to a sexual act, rather than no to one, wanted or unwanted, homosexual or otherwise. The principal is being disingenuous, as is the required program.
How is it not “bullying” to force kids to go through this propaganda against the wishes of their parents?
While we want to make sure kids know how to say "no" to unwanted advances, we certainly don't want to give the kids' parents the opportunity to say "no" to unwanted classes./s
I was thinking the exact same thing. Not like we can ask or anything, but is anyone the least bit curious as to the sexual orientation of the principal? I'm amazed the students got college credit for this stunt.
They keep pushing their agenda to the point that there isn’t much more that I can take. Glad I raised my kids, however I have small grandchildren and I fear for them.
Could not agree more Scott!!! Make some flipping noise at the next school board meeting or better yet, picket the damned school!!! That will get them noticed.
“She told me, ‘Mom, we all get teased and picked on enough; now I’m going to be called a lesbian because I had to ask another girl if I could kiss her,’” she lamented. “They also picked two girls to stand in front of the class and pretend they were lesbians on a date.”
Mandy, what's the problem? your daughter knew it was an anti-bullying exercise.
The correct response is to look the presenter straight in the eye and say "Go to Hell"
"You pass"
Or am I too much of an opitmist?
Good for you. The teachers I couldnt stand we’re the santamonious witches who thought they knew best. There weren’t many of them but I usually very nicely set them straifght right off. Let them know I knew what was going on and was involved. They would back off pretty quick.
Parents who love their children will make whatever sacrifice they must in order to get their children out of the government schools.
Period.
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