Americans New McCarthyism
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GLSEN and the National Education Association. From the FOF web site, July
17, 2004:
Citizen Magazine Feature—^Never Too Young to Indoctrinate
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network has teamed
up with the National Education Association to plant its pro
homosexuality message in every American classroom.
(www.family.org/cforum/citizenmag/features/aOO 13413.cfin;
italics mine)
“Pro-homosexuality.” That’s a favorite rhetorical tactic of those
perpetuating and using myths and stereotypes. The tactic has become a mainstay
and is perhaps most familiar in the Christian Right’s attacks on what they term
“pro-abortion” activists. No one is “pro-abortion.” No woman is saying “Oh
please let me get knocked up so I can have an abortion.” No one advocates
abortion. They advocate choice. They’re “pro-choice.” Similarly, not even the
most radical gay rights activists are “pro-homosexual.” They are not advocating
heterosexuals become homosexuals. They advocate equal civil rights for gay
citizens. They’re “pro-equality.” But equality does not seem to be one of the
“traditional values” the Traditional Values Coalition, American Family
Association, and Focus on the Family support. They do, however, all strongly
support government-sponsored, faith-based “abstinence-only” sex “education”
programs that use stereotypes, myths, and outright lies to target gay teens and
mislead heterosexual ones.
In late 2004, the office of Representative Henry A. Waxman
(Democrat-Califomia) released a report on the government sponsored and
funded “abstinence-only” sex educations programs in public schools. From
Doreen Brandt’s 365Gay.com report, December 2,2004:
The Republican controlled Congress three years ago endorsed
the abstinence program. It is in use in 11 states. Earlier this
month, the Bush Administration secured nearly $170 million
in additional federal funding for these programs, bringing the
five-year total in federal taxpayer support for such programs to
nearly $900 million.
The Waxman staff report found that two thirds of the
abstinence programs in use in schools distort the facts on the
use of condoms.
It also found that the program is teaching teens that abortion
can lead to sterility and suicide, that half o f the gay male