(an excerpt from an article printed in the Des Moines Register posted on the GLSEN web site)
"... School Principal Todd Wolverton said school officials realized one month ago that the Orlando trip for 70 Creston band students would coincide with the annual Gay Days celebration scheduled for May 28 through June 3. The district's travel agent assured school officials the festival was fairly small, Wolverton said...
It was only last week, he said, that school officials realized Gay Days is expected to attract 100,000 or more adults for what organizers call "America's biggest gay and lesbian vacation experience." At that point, school administrators decided to postpone the band's three-day trip to Orlando so that it would begin June 3, the last day of the festival.
"From the school's standpoint, this has nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the group of people who will be there," Wolverton said. "It didn't make one bit of difference what the nature of the group was. We did not move this trip because of the fact that it's Gay Days 2002. We moved this trip because of the fact that there would be 100,000-plus adults partying down there in some of the same areas where we were going to have our kids."
Wolverton said he would have made the same decision had there been any other sort of large festival planned for that many adults..."
An excerpt of GLSEN's response posted on their web site:
GLSEN Expresses Concern as Iowa School Postpones Disney Trip Due to "Gay Days"
"The leading national organization working to end anti-gay discrimination and harassment in America’s schools today expressed concern over the decision of Creston High School officials in Creston, Iowa, to postpone a band trip to Orlando that was to coincide with the city’s Gay Days festival. The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, said the decision and resulting controversy may further isolate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students in local schools.
"This decision reinforces harmful stereotypes, and sends a devastating message to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and their supporters involved in the band program, school and community," stated GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings. "Regardless of motive, the school has sent a message that may lead some to conclude that ‘gay is bad’ - a message with dangerous and unacceptable consequences in school."...."
The school officials explained it clearly -- they didn't want any of their students going on any trip that would put the kids in an environment with an extremely large group of partying adults. Yet GLSEN whines about decisions that reinforce harmful stereotypes, and sends devastating messages.
And they say it's not about access to kids....
God I sure hope so. GLSEN doesn't want tolerance they want everyone to be homosexual. Anyone not on their path is wrong and needs to be "converted". I pray hard for these people, they need salvation soon.