Tag Archives: education

Over at World Net Daily and on Free Republic the wingnuts are going crazy over the claim that a rural high school teacher in Wisconsin gave high school seniors a questionnaire that asked these questions: What do you think caused your heterosexuality? When and how did you decide you were a heterosexual? Is it possible that your heterosexuality is just …

This should provoke some interesting discussion. In San Diego, gay student associations at two community colleges are clashing with administrators over the acronym for their name: FAGS. Members of gay and lesbian clubs at two San Diego community colleges say campus administrators have violated their free speech rights by repeatedly blocking attempts to advertise their shared acronym: FAGS. Frye stands …

It’s Banned Books Week at the nation’s libraries and Christianists in Virginia are using the opportunity to get anti-gay and “ex-gay” books into schools. During a week that librarians nationwide are highlighting banned books, conservative Christian students and parents showcased their own collection outside a Fairfax County high school yesterday — a collection they say was banned by the librarians …

Undeterred by Mayor Bloomberg’s repeatedly stated opposition to adding more holidays to NYC’s school schedule, Muslim activists are using Rosh Hashanah today to again push for the addition of Muslim holidays. Estimates of the number of Muslims in New York City range from 600,000 to 850,000. Their children comprise about 10-12 percent of the more than 1 million students in …

The ACLU has bagged big victories on two different LGBT issues at Florida high schools. Victory One: At a rural Florida high school a federal judge has finally overruled the local school board and allowed the Gay-Straight Alliance to meet on campus. In a move the American Civil Liberties Union is calling “groundbreaking,” a federal judge has ruled in favor …

Without a lawsuit, the ACLU has won a broad list of measures to protect LGBT students in a northern California school district. The ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC) has reached a settlement with the Upper Lake Union School District that contains a comprehensive series of steps the district will undertake to protect students from anti-gay harassment and discrimination. The agreement …

One of the biggest frauds ever perpetrated on American school kids, the federal “abstinence only” sexual education program will continue to the tune of $176M. Despite a growing body of evidence showing it is not only ineffective but also discriminatory toward LGBT youth a renewal of the Bush administration’s abstinence-only-until-marriage program for schools appears likely in Congress. The House Appropriations …

This story has been brewing in Freeperland for a few days, but just hit the MSM. An elementary-school event in which kids were encouraged to dress as members of the opposite gender drew the ire of a Christian radio group, whose angry broadcast prompted outraged calls to the district office. Students at Pineview Elementary in Reedsburg had been dressing in …

Bullies don’t care if you’re actually gay. In ninth grade, a couple of the same boys started a Facebook page called “Every One That Hates Billy Wolfe.” It featured a photograph of Billy’s face superimposed over a likeness of Peter Pan, and provided this description of its purpose: “There is no reason anyone should like billy he’s a little bitch. …

In a stunning blow to California’s rightwing, an appeals court judge has ruled that parents who homeschool their children must have teaching credentials. The ruling arose from a child welfare dispute between the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and Philip and Mary Long of Lynwood, who have been homeschooling their eight children. Mary Long is their …

Wingnuts and Freepers are calling for a deluge of complaints to be rained down upon school administrators at an Illinois high school after Angels In America was offered as a selection in spring English classes. Deerfield High School, in Deerfield, Illinois, is offering the books “Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes” (Part One & Two) – laced …

Openly gay New York State Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell (D-NYC) has been named to the Standing Committee On Education. O’Donnell was the prime sponsor of the Dignity For All Students Act, the anti-bullying and discrimination in public schools legislation which passed in the Assembly last week. O’Donnell: “I believe this advocacy to be the most important aspect of this appointment.” The …

On behalf of a 16 year-old named Heather Gillman, the ACLU is suing a Florida high school for suppression of free speech. This comes after school officials ruled that any declaration of support for gay rights, such as a rainbow sticker on a notebook or saying “I support gay people” were signs that the students belonged to a “secret/illegal organization.” …

The Archdiocese of New York has released a coloring book for preschoolers in which an angel warns: “If a child and an adult happen to be alone, someone should know where they are, and the door should be open or have a big window in it.” Note the male (priest?) figure waving a fey hand at the young boy. Is …

“When we make a public declaration of our sexual orientation — when we say that we are proud members of this community, mountains move. Just that simple act helps create hope, opportunity and voice for the thousands of brothers and sisters who still think they must hide.” – Randi Weingarten, head of NYC’s powerful United Federation of Teachers, in a …

California legislators have approved a bill called the “Student Civil Rights Act” to protect all California students from harassment and bias in public schools based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. A similar bill was passed last year but vetoed by Gov. Schwartzenegger. Of course, the right-wing is going apoplectic (see graphic), claiming that gay sex will now be …

Today is the 11th annual National Day Of Silence, in which students around the country will remain silent during their school day to draw awareness to homophobia on campus The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network has distributed stickers and cards for students to pay out. The material reads: “Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating …