gay clubs in high schools

The Standard of Liberty Voice
For God,Religion,Family,Freedom
A publication of The Standard of Liberty Foundation
www.standardofliberty.org
November 5, 2005, #14

Gay Clubs in High Schools

My daughter Elise, a senior at Lone Peak High School in Utah Valley wrote the following article. This is why. The news had been reporting that Provo High in a neighboring district now has a GSA club (Gay Straight Alliance). The teacher in Elise’s journalism class asked who thought this was a good idea. Almost everyone raised their hand. Then he asked if anybody was against it. Elise was the only one to raise her hand. He asked her why. She said, “Because it’s wrong.” As a result, the teacher assigned two editorials, one pro and one con, and Elise was given the assignment to write an argument against gay clubs in schools. This is what she came up with.

The Reality of Gay Straight Alliance Clubs by Elise Graham

What do you think of when you see a rainbow? Pretty Colors? Hope? Your little sister’s crayon drawing? This is the symbol adopted by the activist gay movement. This movement is anything but what it is pretending to be: harmless.

Provo High has a new GSA club. These clubs are laid out and encouraged by a part of the gay activist movement called GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, www.glsen.org). It is reported that there may be 3,000 of these clubs in existence. Although on the surface this may sound like a step toward inclusiveness and tolerance, it is actually a dangerous and irresponsible move based on political correctness and ignorance. No one seems to be considering that a gay club is saying to every student in the district that homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lifestyles are acceptable, healthy, normal, and ought to be supported and encouraged.

People who want to start a gay club in their high school say it will be all about coming together because of a common interest to talk about diversity and political issues. But the teachers, administrators, and parents need to know that GSA is a youth recruitment strategy carefully laid out by gay activist groups who carefully avoid addressing the health issues involved. Parents, teachers, and students need to know about the dangers. There is no excuse for ignorance. The mainstream media won’t report it, but the Internet is packed with the truth about the radical gay political agenda and lifestyle. In order to get what they want, they are targeting kids.

Putting aside religious beliefs, politics, and even traditional moral values, we must address the health dangers in encouraging this lifestyle. Has everyone forgotten about HIV and AIDS? These are fatal diseases spread primarily by the gay community and there are also many chronic health problems associated exclusively with homosexual behavior. (www.corporatecouncil.org/white_papers.html, “The Health Risks of Gay Sex”)

People cite the federal Equal Access Act as the reason a gay club must be allowed. According to Linda Harvey (www.missionamerica.com/agenda.php?articlenum=7) there are many good arguments for keeping them out that trump the EAA. Utah state law states that schools are not allowed to endorse and promote homosexuality. The Utah Code also says schools can deny clubs that pose any danger to students in order “to protect the physical, emotional, psychological, or moral well being of students and faculty”(Utah code 53A-3-419 Limitations Regarding Access for Student Clubs and Organizations).

I think it’s interesting that a few years ago, my sister who was a model student, tried to start a badminton club, which was rejected because it was “too dangerous.” So, administrators are worried about students being nicked by flimsy rackets and birdies and not worried about promoting high risk sexual behavior, or for that matter, any kind of sexual behavior for minors which also happens to be against state law? Why not create a pro-anorexia club? Or a tattoo club? Or a make-out club? They all have a common interest, and feel misunderstood by the general public as well.

Teenagers are impressionable at this state in life. They are sponges, soaking in everything, whether is it implied or blatant. School clubs can have an effect on a student’s whole life. Another of my sisters started the Culinary Club at LPHS, and is now a certified pastry chef working at a fancy bakery in Maryland. The mere existence of a gay club says to all students that deviant sexual lifestyles are healthy and acceptable and protected by authority. It also implies that sexual behavior of any kind is okay.

One of the arguments for starting a GSA is to deal with and stop discrimination. The fact is lots of kids experience bullying in school. Why not just teach everyone to treat each other with respect? Even gay scientists admit that science has not proven people are naturally gay. In school, people shouldn’t be allowed to label themselves or other people according to a self-determined “sexuality.” If kids have problems with abnormal sexual feelings, counselors should refer them to their parents and specialized psychotherapists if only on the basis that the gay lifestyle is harmful. Many people are able to overcome homosexual feelings if they want to. I personally know someone who did. He says that if there had been a gay club back when he was in high school it would have made a huge negative impact on him even if he didn’t join it.

I think allowing a gay club in high schools is potentially harmful to everyone in the school. My grandpa who is a lawyer calls it child endangerment and contributing to the delinquency of minors, both of which are illegal. I have heard that school districts are worried about being sued by the ACLU if they don’t allow a gay club. But maybe the schools should be more worried about being sued by students who come back to haunt them with responsibility for their addictions, health problems, and deadly diseases. For a huge amount of scientific information about homosexuality and its dangers, visit www.narth.com.

Rainbows are harmless. Homosexuality is not.

I’m pretty pleased at my daughter’s courage. Too many people who should be standing for truth and righteousness have bought into the political correct line or, for reasons unknown, jumped on the band wagon. For instance, I was talking to the Provo School District director of high schools about the new gay club at Provo High. I wanted to understand where he stood because the newspaper reported him as saying things that sounded as if he was anti-parental consent and pro-homosexuality. As I voiced my concerns, he got more and more defensive, and yet never denied what the paper said. Suddenly, he announced angrily, “This conversation is over,” and hung up on me. Hmm.

I wonder why those who profess to believe in age-old traditions of morality don’t stand up and fight. In the case of the gay club, with a little research it’s clear that we are prematurely surrendering. As Elise pointed out, there are laws and codes in place that would make a strong case against the formation of clubs based on sexual orientation. “Hey, you know how it is,” said a lawyer for a Utah school district (who also dropped his Church bishopric calling) to my husband on the phone the other day. Steve had asked him what he believed about homosexuality, if he thought it was wrong, because he wanted to know what side this lawyer was on personally when it comes to allowing gay clubs in schools. The lawyer refused to answer the question saying, “Something I say might get back to the ACLU and they might decide to sue.” And this is a man who would be the front line soldier, the spokesman, the advocate for the children, the families, the religion, and the freedom of the people in that particular county. No wonder county after county is caving in, rolling over and playing dead, throwing in the towel even before the first round. And of course the mainstream media reports the story of Provo High’s new gay club, which would implicitly and explicitly promote sex and sexuality to high school kids, as a victory.

Incomprehensible to me is how the lawyers and school administrators Steve and I talked to this past month (all of whom identified themselves as LDS) do not seem to care about the health, well-being, and proper training of children, not to mention traditional morality and God’s laws.

-Stephen & Janice Graham

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