"Schools should let their students know that the differences between the homosexual and heterosexual cultures are many and profound, contrary to assertions by homosexual advocacy groups who seek to portray homosexuality as something innate and essentially without risk, a leading psychological group said.
Indeed, a same-sex male couple rarely stays together if the partners are not open to permitting each other to have outside sexual contacts, the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) said in a recent mailing to 15,300 public school superintendents around the United States.
The mailing "seeks to correct the misinformation that is being promoted by these homosexual advocacy groups that have an incredible influence on the public education system," said Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, president of NARTH and a proponent of reparative therapy for homosexuals who want to change.
"What we're trying to say to school supervisors is, 'don't just rely on pro-gay information sources to make your decisions.' All our stuff is well grounded scientifically," he said. NARTH is a non-religious scientific organization whose 1,000 members include psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists..."
Lawmakers target 'homosexual agenda', by Tracy Schmaler, Vermont Press Bureau Rutland Herald, February 14, 2001:
"MONTPELIER - A group of lawmakers don't want Vermont teachers telling students it's OK to be gay.
Concerned that students in the state are being exposed to a dangerous message under the guise of tolerance and diversity, 32 House members proposed a bill Tuesday that would prohibit teachers and other school officials from "encouraging, promoting or sanctioning homosexual or bisexual conduct."
"The schools in the first place should not be getting up to talk about homosexual issues," said Rep. Nancy Sheltra, R-Derby, a leading opponent of civil unions and a chief sponsor of the measure. "It's an academic setting, there's no reason it should be discussed."
Sheltra and Rep. Carl Haas, R-Rutland City, are the lead sponsors of the proposal that has attracted the support of all of the Republicans in the Rutland City delegation. Other Rutland area legislators on the list of co-sponsors are Republican Reps. Kevin Mullin of Rutland Town, Joseph Baker of West Rutland, Robert Weeks of Wallingford and Robert Helm of Castleton.
The measure limits what school officials would be allowed to say in the classroom on the subject of homosexuality. "No employee or agent of a school district shall instruct, counsel or advise a student that a homosexual or bisexual orientation is innate or unchangeable," the bill states.
The bill does include provisions that would allow the discussion of homosexuality during lessons on AIDS education and human sexuality, as well as guidance counseling sessions as long as that instruction or counseling included "warnings about the serious health risk associated with such behavior," the bill said. The drafters also made note that the bill does not mean to limit a student's freedom of speech or association by regulating what school officials could say..
"I think the homosexual agenda uses issues like diversity and tolerance to get into the classroom," Sheltra said. "I strongly disapprove that children who are (questioning their sexuality) are not told that they can get counseling. I believe it's because of the agenda. These kids should be counseled that they can work through it, they can get help..."
Wilmington divided over sexuality item by Meggan Clark, Brattleboro Reformer, February 19, 2002
"WILMINGTON -- A town meeting article which would prohibit school employees from "encouraging, promoting or sanctioning homosexual conduct" has spurred a write-in campaign against one of the town selectmen who helped put it on the warning....
Duncan said Monday he asked the selectmen to put the question on the warning because "it was ... an opportunity to use one of the best vehicles for the purpose of gaining public opinion at town meeting."
He says he and several other parents in town are concerned that their children may be exposed at a very young age to sexually explicit materials that they're not emotionally mature enough to cope with, and that such an education may create more problems for children than it solves.
"It has absolutely nothing to do with acceptance or tolerance," he said. "It has to do with promoting a lifestyle that goes against what I would call the natural law of humanity in our schools." Duncan said that children who harass their peers for any reason -- from obesity to perceived homosexuality -- should be punished, but that children's questions about their sexuality should be dealt with in frank discussion with their parents, not in confidence with the guidance counselor....
"I don't think teachers should be telling their children to go to Outright Vermont and find out if they're homosexual or not," she said. "... We're stepping out on a limb when we decide we need to promote that kind of agenda in a classroom. We don't bring anybody into the schools to teach our kids to smoke or drink. Why would we bring someone into the school to promote a lifestyle that is proven to be very dangerous?"
She said that a guidance counselor approached by a student questioning his or her sexuality should contact the child's parents and let them know, "your daughter has come to me and said she's having these feelings," leaving further discussion to the parent and child..."