Subject: strictly fyi: RIGHT WING WATCH
From: Ryan Schwartz <ryan@hummingbirdink.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Apr 2011 13:19:07 -0700
To: NEWS@safeschoolscoalition.org

Dear Safe Schools Coalition members and friends:

RIGHT WING WATCH

(1) 'Truth Academy' held to train students, pastors on anti-gay views
(2) 
Media Matters highlights right's lies about proposed CA curriculum bill
(3) Anti-gay groups bury small MI district in unreasonable FOIA requests - a new scare tactic?

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

(1) 
'Truth Academy' held to train students, pastors on anti-gay views
Anti-gay activists put a lot of energy into promoting their 2nd "truth academy" to train the next generation of hate. Sponsored by Mission America, last week's gathering brought together top leaders from a number of organizations including: Americans for Truth about Homosexuality, the Liberty Counsel, PFOX and World Net Daily. From all information, it seems like their efforts were a massive failure. There were no moles inside this event, unlike last year's which was reported in great detail by The Friendly Atheist, but it seems there were barely more participants than speakers. The right wing groups have been silent about the event's results, and protesters who counted cars in the parking lot report 17-25 attendees, with twice as many protesting outside. It looks like the 'truth tour' has run out of steam as quickly as it began.
 
*******************

(2) 
Media Matters highlights right's lies about CA curriculum bill
Many anti-gay rumors have been circulating about a CA bill that would require textbooks to include information about the contributions of LGBT people. World Net Daily called it "the worse school sexual indoctrination ever" and Bill O'Reilly said about the bill, "if you are a teacher ... you're not going to be able to say bad things about [convicted murderer] Jeffrey Dahmer," because Dahmer was 'a gay cannibal.'" In a great new piece, Media Matters outlines and dissects these hurtful exaggerations and clarifies the actual intentions of the bill. 

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

(3) 
Anti-gay groups bury small MI district in unreasonable FOIA requests - a new scare tactic?
Traverse City, MIchigan has been a playground for anti-gay extremists for decades. In the early 2000's, a bitter fight was waged over a city nondiscrimination ordinance that split the town in two. Now, the city's school board is considering enacting an anti-bullying policy, and the same players are back to make it difficult. A Freedom of Information Act request has been filed asking about any contact or relations with organizations "regarding the so-called 'gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender' issue." A second one was filed for "any procedures or guidelines or lesson plans or conversations that have been used when talking to any students regarding any LGBT issues." With the attention, the school board has delayed their vote on the bullying policy. In the end, they will hopefully realize enumerated anti-bullying policies help protect districts from liability and are not grounds for a suit. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

DONATE TO THE SAFE SCHOOLS COALITION: Click here to make a donation online 

Or mail this form with your check made to "Safe Schools Coalition":
Safe Schools Coalition 
c/o Rosehedge
1401 East Jefferson Street, Suite 401
Seattle, WA  98122 
- - - - - - - - - -

About this Listserv
To SUBSCRIBE to the Safe Schools Coalition's  IMPORTANTNEWS  List, which averages 2 messages/week  including only: urgent messages, action items, SSC meeting minutes

To SUBSCRIBE to the Safe Schools Coalition's  NEWS  List, which averages 2 messages/day  including THOSE SAME THINGS plus: events (conferences, courses, rallies, TV specials, activism opportunities) , resources (books, DVDs, scholarships, curricula, and more), jobs and volunteer and internship opportunities, news digests, opinion digests

To   UNSUBSCRIBE  or
To   SWITCH LISTS  (from NEWS to IMPORTANT NEWS or vice versa) or
To   CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS , if you are already a subscriber,
GO TO  http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/listsub.asp

***************************************
 The Safe Schools Coalition is a public-private partnership of 60+ organizations (government agencies, schools, community agencies, churches, youth/student groups, gay/lesbian groups, human rights groups) and 100+ individuals working to help schools become safe places where every family can belong, where every educator can teach, and where every child can learn,  regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.
Safe Schools' website:  http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org
Safe Schools' blog:  http://safeschoolscoalition.blogspot.com/
Join SSC's group on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=43732067796
Join SSC's group on LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1110307
Follow SSC on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/safeschoolsc

Got a problem at school with anti-gay harassment?
In Washington State:
1-877-SAFE-SAFE  (1-877-723-3723) 24 hours a day - the phone line is answered at the Sexual Assault Hotline and they will have a Safe Schools Coalition Intervention Specialist volunteer get back to you within 24 hours. Or contact us by email:  Intervention:  http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=10 and we will respond within 24 hours.
 
For non-emergencies:  206-451-SAFE (7233).
Or email us here: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=8 

Speakers Bureau (student/community workshops, professional training): http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=9
Membership http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=5
Publications and Listserv http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=7
Website  http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=11

Co-Chairs:
 Frieda Takamura, retired from the Washington Education Association.
Beth Reis, Public Health - Seattle & King County, 206-296-4970.
Heather Murphy, Ph.D., school psychologist.
Stefanie Fox, community organizer.
 
Listserv Managers: 
Beth Reis for Action Items, Resource messages (books, films, curricula, etc.), Professional Journal messages and Help Needed by Reporters/Authors, Researchers, and Member Organizations
Joseph Bonnell and Robyn Walters for News messages
Tara DeZao for Event messages
Joyful Freeman for Jobs, Internships, and Volunteer Opportunity messages
Ryan Schwartz for Right Wing Watch messages
Brad A. Palmertree for Opinion (blogs, editorials, letters to the editor)
Nicole Lee for Lesson Planning Guide messages
Beth Reis for
Gabi Clayton for Legislative/Elective messages and Fundraising* messages 
* Note: Fundraising messages are only sent for member organizations.
 
Send Events to be Posted on the Safe Schools Coalition Calendar!

Buy cool Safe Schools T-Shirts & Gear

This message has been distributed as a free, non-profit informational service, to members of the Coalition and others who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. Please do not publish or post in a public place on the Internet, copyrighted material without attribution. Forwarding of this material should not necessarily be construed as an endorsement of the content.

Ryan Schwartz
Hummingbird INK