[NEWS] strictly fyi: RIGHT WING WATCH - they said what?!, elections, Laura Bush talks safe schools

Dear Safe Schools Coalition members and friends:

RIGHT WING WATCH …

(1) Anti-gay group: Christians are the new 'Negro' (but don't think about comparing civil rights struggles!)

(2)
The anti-gay right responds to the election, looks to upcoming targets

(3) NYT highlights political side of anti-bullying laws

(4) Arkansas school board president resigns after Facebook post calling for gays to die

(5) Laura Bush calls for action on anti-gay bullying

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(1) Anti-gay group: Christians are the new 'Negro' (but don't think about comparing civil rights struggles!)
One of The Family Research Council's favorite spokespeople is Dr. Ken Hutcherson, senior pastor of the Antioch Bible Church in Kirkland, Washington. In his most recent essay, Hutcherson writes, "
Jim Crow laws were passed to keep me from having my constitutional rights and my rights under the Declaration of Independence of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...
Today, my constitutional right of freedom of religion is being eroded again by laws such as the Hate Crimes Bill." You can read the full essay here, but don't forget to keep in mind the hypocrisy of the Family Research council, which argued against comparing gay struggles to those of African Americans. In supporting Don't Ask Don't Tell, FRC says, "
Homosexuality is a behavioral characteristic; being black is a superficial matter of skin color.
The racial integration of the military was successful precisely because it proved that the behavior of black soldiers did not differ from that of whites. But with homosexuality, a difference in behavior is what defines the issue..." Either being a Christian fundamentalist is an innate characteristic unrelated to behavior, or FRC contradicts itself again.

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(2)
The anti-gay right responds to the election, looks to upcoming targets
Even though more openly LGBT candidates were elected than ever before, the recent midterm elections were certainly a step back for LGBT equality. Focus on the Family heralded the elections as a major anti-gay victory, pointing to wins in state legislatures that will keep anti-gay laws on the books.

The Family Research Council,
h

aving endorsed numerous winning candidates,

was also quick to claim an enormous victory, announcing: Yes, We Canned.

The brains behind the successful

movement to convince Iowan voters to fired the three judges who understood anti-gay marriage laws as illegal discrimination

, The Family Research Council also wasted no time setting their sites are new battles. Continuing with the annoying, yet admittedly enjoyable puns, they were quick to bolster anti-gay political fear with: After the GOP Storm, a Gay Rights Rainbow. Get your umbrellas, because apparently: "
For conservatives in at least five states, the clouds are gathering for a dark deluge of anti-family legislation." But where there's rain, FRC's hot air will certainly be behind it, and we can look forward to upcoming months as the anti-gay right pours money and energy into state initiatives in Hawaii, California, Illinois, Rhode Island, and New York.

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(3)
NYT highlights political side of anti-bullying laws

In a new New York Times article, reporter Erik Eckholm investigates recent right-wing pushback to anti-bullying policies. Starting with the recent controversy of safe schools messages in Helena, Montana, Erik's article suggests recent national attention to school bullying is provoking new 'culture wars.' Erik's article also focuses on similar controversies in Illinois and California. For an extended interview with the reporter, click on the 'multimedia' sidebar. To dive into how opponents of safe schools laws, such as those interviewed in the article, discuss anti-bullying legislation, see this statement issued by a handful of conservative Christian groups.Note how the authors provoke anger by comparing (and directly opposing) anti-gay and anti-religious bullying, and how other rhetoric exaggerates the laws to be an all out-war, or a 'Trojan Horse,' on them and their faith.

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(4)
Arkansas school board president resigns after Facebook post calling for gays to die

We all regret Facebook posts, but
Clint McCance, vice-president of the Midland School District in Pleasant Plains, Arkansas really went overboard: "It pisses me off though that we make a special purple fag day for them. I like that fags cant procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die," he wrote. His hurtful comments quickly set of a firestorm of media attention, and even the Arkansas State Commissioner of Education expressed his disgust at the statements.There was so much outrage that Clint knew he had to resign. "I went too far....

I'm reaping what I've sown," he told CNN's Anderson Cooper as he publicly announced his resignation. Clint made the mistake of putting these thoughts on the public record, but should we be concerned about other school leaders who may silently be thinking the same thing as a backlash to recent attention to anti-gay bullying?

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(5)
Laura Bush calls for action on anti-gay bullying

The former first lady is not missing an opportunity to clarify her own views on social issues, which are quite different than the opinions of her husband or conservative voters who once stood behind her. This ABC News article begins, "

Former first lady Laura Bush, who came out in support of gay marriage and abortion after she vacated the White House, split again with some social conservatives to back anti-bullying measures intended to protect gay teens." While this may be a celebrated sign that the times are changing, I can't help but wonder how schools would be different if she had said these things while in the White House.

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