Subject: strictly fyi: RIGHT WING WATCH - Canada, SB 48 and Anderson Cooper
From: Ryan Schwartz <ryan@hummingbirdink.com>
Date: 10/6/2011 4:34 PM
To: NEWS@safeschoolscoalition.org

Dear Safe Schools Coalition members and friends:


RIGHT WING WATCH … 

(1) 
Canadian newspaper regrets running misleading newspaper ad targeted at school programs, donates profit to 
LGBT group
(2) 
BC district faces FOIA over safe schools program
(3) 
Focus on the Family lays off more staff, uses desperate threats about children and LGBT groups to raise money
(4) 
SB 48 Opponents claim bullying is not a problem, are caught lying in desperate attempt for last-minute signatures for referendum petition.
(5) Kentucky lawmaker wants to make anti-gay bullying legal, allow students to carry guns
(6) Kennewick School Board members reverse anti-GSA policy and allow student clubs
(7) Anderson Cooper condemns right wing groups over opposition to safe schools efforts

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(1) 
Canadian newspaper regrets running misleading newspaper ad targeted at school programs, donates profit to 
LGBT group
Canada's conservative National Post ran a full-page advertisement targeting school programs inclusive of LGBT issues. The ad features a young, wide-eyed girl with the title "I'm a girl. Don't teach me to question if I'm a boy, transexual, transgendered, intersexed or two spirited." The ad accuses safe schools efforts of "forcing" parents and teachers into teaching it (http://gawker.com/5845147/canadian-newspaper-runs-full+page-anti+gay-anti+transgender-ad). The ad provoked outrage from people around the world, and the National Post quickly admitted its mistake, saying the procedures for approving advertisements were not followed. They are donating the proceeds of the advertisement to an LGBT organization (http://instinctmagazine.com/blogs/blog/canada-s-national-post-apologizes-for-running-transphobic-ad?directory=100011). The ad did its job though and sparked bad press for safe schools efforts, including a piece by a columnist for Calgary's major newspaper that accuses the curriculum of "gender-bending" and features trite rhetoric about gay pride parades (http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Martinuk+straight+goods+gender+bending+curriculum/5479162/story.html).

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(2) 
BC district faces FOIA over safe schools program
The school district of a suburb near Vancouver is facing a freedom of information request about their involvement with a program that brings queer films into high schools to spark discussion of bullying and homophobia. A parent complained when he found a link on the program's website that led to a sexual health site with explicit images. The opposed parent accused the group of showing "hardcore porn" to students even though the resource list was for teachers and the link was removed when program organizers found out the link had a new campaign targeted to adults. (http://www.burnabynow.com/health/Schools+under+fire+from+parents+group/5434446/story.html). 
 
*******************
(3) Focus on the Family lays off more staff, uses desperate threats about children and LGBT groups to raise money
Due to a fall in donations leaving it $15 million short of its budget, Focus on the Family is laying off 49 jobs, bringing its staff down to 650 from a 2002 peak of 1,400 (http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_18912132). In an email fundraising request with the subject "being blunt on your family's behalf,' Focus on the Family proclaims, "It's clear that advocates of same-sex marriage have targeted our country's educational system in an attempt to impact our children's belief system. It's also clear that pornographers have no regard for families or the innocence of our children."

*******************
(4) SB 48 Opponents claim bullying is not a problem, are caught lying in desperate attempt for last-minute signatures for referendum petition.
In an interview about California's SB 48, which requires accurate portrayal of LGBT history in social studies curricula, 
the Christian Coalition of California's spokesperson spoke out against anti-bullying programs, saying bullying is not a problem in schools and is just part of growing up (
http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/christianbully.html). Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, circulated a youtube video accusing the law of taking instructional time away from reading, math and writing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1I7KdkUeqo). Opponents of the law are circulating petitions, hoping to secure enough support to but the law up for popular vote in 2012. Now, the Courage Campaign is calling for an investigation after one opponent was telling passer-bys the petition was to protect children from child molesters (http://www.towleroad.com/2011/10/update-courage-campaign-files-complaint-requests-investigation-into-stop-sb-48-tactics.html). Equality California has also filed a complaint that opponents might not be following election law that requires them to register as a campaign committee with the state (http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_19032512). 

*******************
(5) Kentucky lawmaker wants to make anti-gay bullying legal, allow students to carry guns
A state house representative from Danville, KY has introduced a bill that would exempt students from bullying policies if they bully based on their own religious beliefs.  Rep. Mike Harmon introduced the bill after a house committee overwhelmingly approved a comprehensive anti-bullying bill (http://www.queerty.com/mike-harmon-wants-to-let-religious-ky-students-condemn-lgbt-kids-but-does-he-have-an-other-good-point-20110912/).
The same representative also introduced a bill that would allow students to carry guns on school campuses (http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/lawmaker-pushes-bill-to-allow-bullying-of-gay-students-and-concealed-guns/politics/2011/09/12/26851).

*******************
(6) Kennewick School Board members reverse anti-GSA policy and allow student clubs
A school board in Washington has finally allowed GSAs to organize. The school board originally banned all extracurricular clubs instead of allowing a GSA to meet, but reversed that decision to allow for all clubs, including GSAs, to form (http://www.keprtv.com/news/130763593.html). 

*******************
(7) Anderson Cooper condemns right wing groups over opposition to safe schools efforts
In the heart-tugging context of the recent suicide of death of 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer, Anderson Cooper targets right-wing organizations that are fighting safe-schools efforts and interviews bullying experts that refute what has been said by opposition groups (http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/21/keeping-them-honest-stop-bullying-2/).

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