From: Subject: NEA groups protest award to gay studies activist -- The Washington Times Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 16:44:05 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20040702-115950-5378r X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1441 NEA groups protest award to gay studies activist -- = The Washington Times
The Washington=20 Times
www.washingtontimes.com

NEA=20 groups protest award to gay studies activist

By George=20 Archibald
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published July = 3,=20 2004
Leaders of two groups within the National Education Association = objected=20 yesterday to plans of union leaders to confer a human rights award = tonight=20 on the founder of a homosexual network in schools.=20
    Heads of the NEA Republican Educators = Caucus=20 and NEA Ex-Gay Educators Caucus formally protested plans to give = the award=20 to Kevin Jennings of the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network = (GLSEN),=20 whose stated goals "extend to incorporating homosexual concepts = into all=20 curriculum."
    NEA President Reg Weaver = was=20 given a tape recording of a GLSEN conference in 2000 at Tufts = University,=20 where Mr. Jennings was keynote speaker and Massachusetts = Department of=20 Education HIV/AIDS coordinators discussed with teenage students = ways to=20 perform various homosexual acts.
    The=20 recording, made by a participant and publicly distributed, caused = a public=20 outcry and led to the dismissal of state education department = employees=20 and the state-funded GLSEN contractor. =
    Mr.=20 Weaver did not respond to requests for comment.=20
    Mr. Jennings, who also did not respond = to=20 interview requests, is slated to receive the 2004 Virginia Uribe = Award for=20 Creative Leadership in Human Rights tonight at the NEA's annual = human=20 rights dinner, which precedes the union's yearly convention that = starts=20 tomorrow at the D.C. Convention Center. =
    The=20 award is named for Virginia Uribe, a teacher and counselor at = Fairfax High=20 School in the Los Angeles Unified School District for 42 years, = who=20 developed a program to help address problems faced by homosexual = students.=20 The program was called Project 10 in honor of sex researcher = Alfred=20 Kinsey's disputed theory that 10 percent of the population is = homosexual.=20
    In her protest letter, Diane Lenning = of=20 Huntington Beach, Calif., chairwoman of the NEA Republican = Educators=20 Caucus, asked Mr. Weaver: "Is it a good idea for NEA to honor as = exemplary=20 a teacher who engages in unethical practice?"=20
    Mrs. Lenning said Mr. Jennings' 1994 = book,=20 "One Teacher in 10," shows that he "did not report sexual = victimization of=20 a student to the proper authorities." =
    In the=20 book, Mr. Jennings related advice and sympathy he gave in 1988 to = a=20 sophomore student in Concord, Mass., named Brewster, who confided=20 emotional difficulty over his homosexual involvement "with an = older man he=20 had met in Boston."
    Child protection = laws in=20 Massachusetts required a teacher to notify child welfare = authorities=20 within 48 hours if a child under 18 "is suffering physical or = emotional=20 injury resulting from abuse inflicted upon him ... including = sexual=20 abuse."
    State authorities said Mr. = Jennings=20 filed no report in 1988. "As mandatory reporters, teachers must = uphold the=20 legal requirements and report student sexual involvement with = adults,"=20 Mrs. Lenning wrote.
    In a separate = letter=20 personally presented to the union president yesterday, Jeralee = Smith of=20 Riverside, Calif., head of the NEA Ex-Gay Educators Caucus, = objected that=20 "Mr. Jennings has also singled out ex-gays for particular scorn = and=20 discrimination in his public statements and writings," which she=20 submitted.
    "Ex-gay messages have no = place in=20 our nation's public schools," Mr. Jennings said in one GLSEN = publication.=20 "A line has been drawn. There is no 'other side' when you're = talking about=20 lesbian, gay and bisexual students." =
    Mrs.=20 Smith said: "This hostility is inconsistent with NEA's commitment = to=20 create a safe environment for all and is very intolerant toward = those who=20 have decided not to embrace a homosexual life."=20
    "If we are to be truly democratic in = our=20 support of each person's right to pursue their own happiness, then = there=20 would be no stigmatizing of any individual for choosing to leave a = homosexual life or, for that matter, in choosing to reverse such a = decision," she told Mr. Weaver.
    A = former=20 teacher at Concord Academy in Concord, Mass., Mr. Jennings founded = GLSEN=20 in 1990 to fight harassment and bullying of homosexuals by forming = "gay-straight alliances" in schools. =
    According=20 to the group's publications, GLSEN's mission "is about changing = schools=20 and school culture around [homosexual-bisexual-transgender] issues = and=20 people."
    Its goals "extend to ... = holding=20 diversity seminars for teachers and students and ensuring that = only=20 positive discussions about homosexuality are allowed into = elementary=20 school classrooms, including kindergarten," according to the GLSEN = Web=20 site.
    



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