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Also see the Homosexual Agenda bump list
Posted on 04/04/2002 9:10:30 AM PST by libertylass
Torrance school board cuts gay program, By Josh Grossberg DAILY BREEZE
The day after the Torrance school board voted to ban a gay rights group from speaking at the annual North High Human Relations Convention, a well-respected civil rights group threatened to boycott the event.
While proponents of keeping the gay rights group out of the conference congratulated themselves Tuesday, the other side floated the idea of holding the conference off-campus and away from the board's jurisdiction.
After a lengthy and tense meeting, the school board voted 3-2 to stop Gays and Lesbians Initiating Dialogue for Equality from attending the May 18 event. Members Maureen O'Donnell, Heidi Ashcraft and Joseph Bonano voted in favor of holding the event, but without GLIDE's participation. Members Gary Kuwahara and Beth Wilson, who both supported allowing the group to attend, voted against the measure.
Linda Hoos, a staff attorney for the Anti-Defamation League, called the board's 3-2 decision an “abomination.” She said even though her group was scheduled to participate, she was going to urge members to stay away. The ADL is known for fighting anti-Semitism.
“I would argue that we should not participate,” she said. “We're discussing it. The decision whether to pull out is something we'll have to mull over.”
The ADL's decision will not be made until next week, but Hoos said the board's vote was a slap in the face to what the event was supposed to be about.
“It does a disservice to the students,” she said. “While I respect divergent views of the community, I still feel, in this context, the decision by the board was heavy-handed and unfair.”
Board member's reaction:
Hoos' comments were treated with skepticism by Torrance school board member Joseph Bonano, who issued the original motion to bar the group.
“Good for them,” Bonano said. “If they want to pull out and make one less presenter, that's fine. They showed their true colors.”
The Human Relations Convention takes place on a Saturday. Student attendance is voluntary, and students must have parental permission. The event is funded by the nonprofit Torrance Education Foundation.
Monday's standing-room-only board meeting was the latest chapter in a saga that began last year when students scheduled a similar group to lead a seminar about sexual orientation. Over objections from dozens of parents and residents, the board approved the presentation on a 3-2 vote.
But with nerves raw from the fight, opponents formed Parents United to Stop Homosexual Education on our Schools, whose goal was to oust board members who voted in favor of the presentation.
“I think it's a step in the right direction,” said PUSHES spokesman Dan Miller. “We'll see how everything turns out. We'll try to monitor things that go on.”
GLIDE is a Beverly Hills-based nonprofit that makes 200 presentations each year on homophobia to schools, government employees and churches, according to the group. Its supporters were disheartened by Monday's vote, saying the decision denied them their rights.
“I was appalled,” said former Torrance school board member William Blischke. “I think that not only do we have a right to free speech, but we have a right to hear and listen to those with a different point of view. The parents who didn't want their children to attend could opt out, but as it went, parents lost their rights to participate.”
To counter the decision, Blischke said he was mulling whether the event should be moved elsewhere. He suggested as much in a letter he sent to the Daily Breeze.
“My recommendation is it would be held at North High as originally planned, but that's not going to happen,” he said. “I suggested that it either be at another facility in Torrance or the North High students find a co-host in a high school in a nearby community where they'd have a more reasonable and tolerant majority on the board that will allow it to happen.”
An alternative conference
O'Donnell said it was their right to have the convention any place they wanted, but she said she wanted students to learn tolerance for all groups, not just gays.
“We feel that through diversity retreats and conflict resolution, you can address this and all other forms of discrimination, which will include youngsters who are fat, not good-looking, or racial and ethnic groups that are not part of the majority,” she said.
But fellow board member Beth Wilson said the students deserved to have GLIDE speak.
“I'm tremendously disappointed,” she said. “I feel sorry for the North High community who, in good faith, pulled this program together. I feel a great deal of sadness today.”
Publish Date:Wednesday April
Here's a fancy ping:
Also see the Homosexual Agenda bump list
PUSHES ?? perverts.
Will try to be more pithy, as Bill O' says.
This is Gary Kuwahara's last term, thank God. I think the terms last 4 years. Ugh! Don't know about Beth Wilson, but she's gotta go too. She's on my "hit" list 'cuz she said we were trying to CENSOR this group. Pleeeasssee......
wasn't this a voluntary conference?
This link will get you started with HTML (not that I'm any kind of expert).
And you're asinine statement in post 25 shows everyone just exactly how intolerant you supporters are.
In that case... No just kidding.
The only name I can think of is "Good Parent"
Does that count?
I'm more visual than cerebral.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I like that in a woman.
Keep up the good fight!
GLIDE is a big proponnent out here in the granola state for making sure that CA kindergartners know "that it's OK to be Gay!".
A big reason why I homeschool is the fact that fewer "leaders" in this state have the huevos to tell GLIDE and PFLAG to save the perversion apologetics for colleges...
Perhaps. But, I can think of a few people that would blow a gasket if a school district sponsored "voluntary" attendance at a Christian Harvest Crusade to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Double standard anyone?
He's in the white pages, so I won't feel guilty for posting this.
He shoul have a sign on his door that says GAY RECRUITER --Uncle Sam wants you -- on your knees.
I intend to contact each and every High School in our area and find out exactly how many "intolerance" cases have been reported by students. What I see is hormonally engourged kids who have decided to try homosexuality because "it's trendy and cool" and made to seem accepted by Society and OK.
I got a message that I have received FreepMail. How do I retrieve it? Helllppp...
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