Mom' and 'Dad' banished by California
Pastor Dale Morgan
Mom' and 'Dad' banished by California*
Schwarzenegger signs law outlawing terms perceived as negative to 'gays'
Posted: October 13, 2007
Capitol Resource Institute
"Mom and Dad" as well as "husband and wife" effectively have been banned
from California schools under a bill signed by Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger, who with his signature also ordered public schools to
allow boys to use girls restrooms and locker rooms, and vice versa, if
they choose.
"We are shocked and appalled that the governor has blatantly attacked
traditional family values in California," said Karen England, executive
director of Capitol Resource Institute.
"With this decision, Gov. Schwarzenegger has told parents that their
values are irrelevant. Many parents will have no choice but to pull
their children out of the public schools that have now become sexualized
indoctrination centers."
"Arnold Schwarzenegger has delivered young children into the hands of
those who will introduce them to alternative sexual lifestyles," said
Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families, which
worked to defeat the plans. "This means children as young as five years
old will be mentally molested in school classrooms.
"Shame on Schwarzenegger and the Democrat politicians for ensuring that
every California school becomes a homosexual-bisexual-transsexual
indoctrination center," he said.
Analysts have warned that schools across the nation will be impacted by
the decision, since textbook publishers must cater to their largest
purchaser, which often is California, and they will be unlikely to go to
the expense of having a separate edition for other states.
The bills signed by Schwarzenegger include SB777, which bans anything in
public schools that could be interpreted as negative toward
homosexuality, bisexuality and other alternative lifestyle choices.
There are no similar protections for students with traditional or
conservative lifestyles and beliefs, however.
"SB 777 will result in reverse discrimination against students with
religious and traditional family values," said Meredith Turney,
legislative liaison for Capitol Resource Institute. "These students have
lost their voice as the direct result of Gov. Schwarzenegger's
unbelievable decision. The terms 'mom and dad' or 'husband and wife'
could promote discrimination against homosexuals if a same-sex couple is
not also featured.
"Parents want the assurance that when their children go to school they
will learn the fundamentals of reading, writing and arithmetic – not
social indoctrination regarding alternative sexual lifestyles. Now that
SB777 is law, schools will in fact become indoctrination centers for
sexual experimentation," she said.
England said that the law is not a list of banned words, including "mom"
and "dad." But she said the requirement is that the law bans
discriminatory bias.
"Having 'mom' and 'dad' promotes a dicsriminatory bias. You have to
either get rid of 'mom' and 'dad' or include everything when talking
about [parental issues]," she said. "They [promoters of sexual
alternative lifestyles] do consider that discriminatory."
Also signed was AB394, which targets parents and teachers for such
indoctrination through "anti-harassment" training, CCF said.
Schwarzenegger had vetoed almost identical provisions a year ago, saying
existing state law already provided for penalties for discrimination.
"We had hoped that the governor would once again veto this outrageous
legislation but he obviously decided to side with the out-of-touch
extremists that control the legislature. This law does not reflect the
true values of the average Californian," said England. "True leadership
means standing up for what is true and right."
Thomasson said SB777 prohibits any "instruction" or school-sponsored
"activity" that "promotes a discriminatory bias" against "gender" – the
bill's definition includes cross-dressing and sex changes – as well as
"sexual orientation."
"Because no textbook or instruction in California public schools
currently disparages transsexuality, bisexuality, or homosexuality, the
practical effect of SB777 will be to require positive portrayals of
these sexual lifestyles at every government-operated school," CCF noted.
Offenders will face the wrath of the state Department of Education, up
to and including lawsuits.
CCF noted that now on a banned list will be any text, reference or
teaching aid that portrays marriage as only between a man and woman,
materials that say people are born male or female (and not in between),
sources that fail to include a variety of transsexual, bisexual and
homosexual historical figures, and sex education materials that fail to
offer the option of sex changes.
Further, homecoming kings now can be either male or female – as can
homecoming queens, and students, whether male or female, must be allowed
to use the restroom and locker room corresponding to the sex with which
they choose to identify.
AB394 promotes the same issues through state-funded publications,
postings, curricula and handouts to students, parents and teachers.
It also creates the circumstances where a parent who says marriage is
only for a man and a woman in the presence of a lesbian teacher could be
convicted of "harassment," and a student who believes people are born
either male or female could be reported as a "harasser" by a male
teacher who wears women's clothes, CCF said.
Thomasson said Schwarzenegger also signed AB14, which prohibits state
funding for any program that does not support a range of alternative
sexual practices, including state-funded social services run by churches.
Affected will be day cares, preschool or after-school programs, food and
housing programs, senior services, anti-gang efforts, jobs programs and
others.
Thomasson said it also forces every hospital in California – even
private, religious hospitals – to adopt policies in support of
transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality and opens up nonprofit
organizations to lawsuits if they exclude members that engage in
homosexual, bisexual, or transsexual conduct.
"It's the height of intolerance to punish individuals, organizations,
businesses, and churches that have moral standards on sexual conduct and
sexual lifestyles," said Thomasson, in response to the signing of AB14.
"This is another insensitive law that violates people's moral boundaries."
The vitriol over the issue rose to new levels in its latest campaign.
A board member for the homosexual advocacy group Equality California
verbally attacked and threatened CRI for its opposition to the bill earlier.
The board member sent an e-mail and video to CRI threatening the group
would be buried if it continued efforts opposing the homosexual advocacy.
"The shocking hate mail we received shows that those behind this
legislation do not promote true tolerance," said England. "Only
politically correct speech will be tolerated. Those with religious or
traditional moral beliefs will not be allowed to express their opinions
in public schools."
She also cited an informational document published by the Gay-Straight
Alliance Network and the Transgender Law Center that already is lobbying
for special treatment in the school system.
"If you want to use a restroom that matches your gender identity … you
should be allowed to do so," it advises. "Whenever students are divided
up into boys and girls, you should be allowed to join the group or
participate in the program that matches your gender identity as much as
possible."
Further, the groups advise, "If you change your name to one that better
matches your gender identity, a school needs to use that name to refer
to you." The advocacy group also warns schools against bringing parents
into any such discussion with students.
A number of earlier cases in which educators, including leaders in
California, have taken it upon themselves to promote a homosexual
lifestyle to children under their charge.
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, under
whose supervision hundreds of thousands of children are being educated,
has used his state position and taxpayer-funded stationery to praise a
"gay" pride event used in the past to expose children to sexually
explicit activities.
That drew vehement objections from several educators, including
Priscilla Schreiber, the president of the Grossmont Unified High School
District governing board.
"I am outraged that a person in this high-ranking elected position would
advocate an event where diversity is not just being celebrated but where
pornography and indecent exposure is being perpetrated on the young and
innocent children of our communities," she said.