Subject: strictly fyi: RIGHT WING WATCH
From: Ryan Schwartz <ryan@hummingbirdink.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:30:14 -0800
To: NEWS@safeschoolscoalition.org

Dear Safe Schools Coalition members and friends:

I open this edition of the Right Wing Watch by paying respect to murdered Ugandan activist David Kato, who was beaten to death with a hammer in his Kampala home. Kato's colleague points to the international dangers posed by the extremists we track in this newsletter: "David's death is a result of the hatred planted in Uganda by US Evangelicals," said Val Kalende. Whether its at home or abroad, the misinformation and fear-mongering tactics of these groups have very dangerous consequences, so thank you for reading and taking action to prevent the spread of their hatred.

RIGHT WING WATCH  

(1) MN district criticized for ignoring parents, now faces lawsuit for student censorship
(2) 
After hearing from students, 
Catholic School Board admits mistake and all
ows GSAs
(3) 
Parents push back; Boston archdiocese removes ban on LGBT families
(4) MA extremists organize Orthodox Jews to impede fight against bullying
(5) MT's most offensive conservatives now organizing against anti-bullying legislation
(6) UK activists beginning to organize against inclusive curriculum

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(1)  
MN district criticized for ignoring parents, now faces lawsuit for censoring students
The Anoka-Hennepin School District, the largest in Minnesota, has received national attention for ignoring community requests to confront anti-gay bullying. 
The conservative school board is hanging on to one of the last gay censorship laws in the country, forbidding the discussion of LGBT issues such as anti-gay bullying on school property. So when the student body at Champlin Park High School voted two lesbians as royalty for a winter coronation event, the school district changed the rules to keep the women from walking next to each other. Even though the student body voted for the girls, the district quoted student concerns as the reason behind the move. In response, the Southern Poverty Law Center has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the students. You can support community activists in reigning in their heavy-handed and outdated school board leadership by visiting http://gayequityteam.org. 

*******************

(2) After hearing from students, 
Catholic School Board admits mistake and allows GSAs
The Halton Catholic District School Board in Ontario, Canada has rescinded a new controversial policy that prevented students from forming supportive student clubs. More than 100 people attended a school board meeting where the trustees voted 6-2 to overturn the policy created by the previous school board last year. Current and former students spoke out against the policy, and the district's leadership said, "The most compelling voices on this issue have come from students in our care... and we are responding to that articulated need for support." Instead of recognizing the testimony from their community, religious conservatives are trying to blame one openly gay school board member for the change, who says targeting him ignores the community voices that spoke out against the discriminatory policy. 

*******************
(3) 
Parents push back; Boston archdiocese removes ban on LGBT families
After hearing concerns from community members, as well as the Catholic Schools Foundation, 
The push back started several months ago, when a pastor rescinded the application for the child of a lesbian couple. 

*******************
(4) 
MA extremists organize Orthodox Jews to impede fight against bullying
The radically conservative group MassResistance is crossing state lines to organize religious resistance to an anti-bullying law already signed into policy by New Jersey GOP Governor Chris Christie. The group is offering organizing and media tools to Rabbi Noson Leiter, who recently offended his religious community by comparing legal abortion to the Holocaust. Interestingly enough, the Rabbi uses quotes from the new testament to defend his extremist positions. You can track Rabbi Leiter's group at http://www.jewsfordecency.org.

******************
(5) 
MT's most offensive conservatives now organizing against anti-bullying legislation
Tim Ravndal was booted from leading the Montana Tea Party after he joked about the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard during a lively debate over local health curriculum in Helena. Now the state, at the urging of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, is considering a state-wide bullying prevention law and Ravndal is back spreading hurtful misinformation. Even though the law does not specifically deal with sexual orientation, Ravndal and the conservative Eagle Forum are rallying opposition with anti-gay attacks. When faced with the overwhelming, rational evidence for the need for a uniform bullying law, they responded by saying, "There's a devil in the details, a true devil."

******************
(6) 
UK activists beginning to organize against inclusive curriculum
The British Department of Education has suggested optional lesson plans that would weave messages of respect for LGBT people throughout math, science and social studies curriculum. The lessons, which include vocabulary, history and books such as "Tango Makes Three" are now under attack by the country's more conservative activists, who are echoing their American peers. Even though the authors of the curriculum point out that the lessons enhance the teaching of core subjects, opponents are attempting to argue that inclusive lessons take away from educational interests. 
“When you have a maths problem, why does it have to involve a straight family or a boyfriend and girlfriend? Why not two boys or two girls? It’s not about teaching about gay sex, it is about images and exposing children to the idea that there are other types of people out there," said teacher David Watkins.

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Ryan Schwartz
Hummingbird INK