Parents sue school over same-sex fairy tale

[amanondeathrow]

By Jason Szep Thu Apr 27, 5:44 PM ET

BOSTON (Reuters) - Two families filed a lawsuit on Thursday against a Massachusetts town and its public school system after a teacher read a gay-themed fairy tale to children without notifying them first.

The suit against Lexington, about 12 miles west of Boston, seeks unspecified damages after the book "King & King" was read to a classroom of about 20 mostly 7 years olds. It is believed the first of its kind, the families' lawyers said.

The complaint said the school had "begun a process of intentionally indoctrinating very young children to affirm the notion that homosexuality is right and normal in direct denigration of the plaintiffs' deeply held faith."

Full Artical

[Black Dagger]

The complaint said the school had "begun a process of intentionally indoctrinating very young children to affirm the notion that homosexuality is right and normal in direct denigration of the plaintiffs' deeply held faith."

And these parents have begun a process of intentionally indoctrinating very young children to affirm the notion that homosexuality is wrong and abnormal? It's a fucking public school, the 'deeply held faith' of these parents is irrelevant, next they'll be whinging about the process of intentionally indoctrinating very voung children to affirm the notion that evolution is right If you want a religious/homophobic education, send your kids to a religious school.

[TC]

yah seriously.


Its also a simply bizzar complaint...its not like it actively \"indoctrinates\" them to be gay (like, if it worked that way, you\'d think there would be no gay people around cause little kids hear stories about straight couples pretty much constantly&#33 its just a way of normalizing gay couples so that they\'re more likely to show basic tolerance, and if they\'re gay maybe they wont be as self-loathing as their christian parents would like them to be...and thats what they really object to.

[Entrails Konfetti]

Wait this was in Boston, Massachusetts?

This was the first state in the USA to have gay marriages, and people are freaking out about this. Rediculous.

[TC]

it was actually in Lexington massachusetts which is a small town thats politically conservative by the state\'s standards.

[Lord Voltara]

It was a piss-poor story. It should be banned on literary grounds alone.

[VermontLeft]

thats just fucking ridiculous :angry:

i really dont know whats fucking wrong with this coutnry. not only do these assholes want to stop gays from getting married, they want to stop them from telling stories about it!!! :angry:

i really sometimes get fucking depressed about this fucking country

(good thing theres weed )

[Decadence]

I personaly want to sue some school over reading a staight fairy tale just to prove how rediculus discrimination based on sexual orientation is.

[Orange Juche]

Originally posted by VermontLeft@Apr 29 2006, 12:35 AM
i really sometimes get fucking depressed about this fucking country

(good thing theres weed )

I don't get depressed. I just get really, really angry. There is no excuse for people being so blatantly fucking stupid.

[Shiroryuu]

that is really fucked up, I feel like I'm losing hope for this country.

[rioters bloc]

it&#39;s like when there was a huge uproar in australia a few years back cos they showed a lesbian couple with their children in an episode of playschool (a kids show aimed at 1-4 year olds). it lost popularity after that <_<

[Vladislav]

I still watch playschool.

[rioters bloc]

i don&#39;t have time.

[SocialistGenius]

Originally posted by Decadence@May 9 2006, 09:47 PM
I personaly want to sue some school over reading a staight fairy tale just to prove how rediculus discrimination based on sexual orientation is.

No shit. I&#39;m not gay but even if I was it wouldn&#39;t matter. What&#39;s the harm done by reading this "King and King" book anyway? What if I were to invent my own religion that wasn&#39;t accepting of heterosexual sex. Could I then file suit against any school that reads Cinderella to the kids? (Remember, she runs off and lives happily ever after with the prince.)

[rioters bloc]

relevant stuff that happened in aus recently:

http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,...5001022,00.html

GAY CARE CENTRE

by Kim Linden, 27/05/2006

A COUNCIL-run childcare centre is teaching toddlers that gay, lesbian and "transgender" parents are normal in a bid to "challenge the perception" of young children about sexuality.

The Tillman Park Children&#39;s Centre in Tempe -- which receives council and government funding -- has devised the gay-friendly curriculum for children aged six weeks to six years.

Marrickville Mayor Sam Byrne said the centre had "successfully adopted several strategies to encompass lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inter-sex issues".

These included ensuring images were reflective of "diverse families" and "actively affirming the identity of lesbian and gay families".

He said the centre challenged "children&#39;s perception of what is &#39;normal&#39; gender and sexual identity".

The centre uses controversial Learn to Include books, which feature Jed and his Dads and The Rainbow Cubby House.

Mr Byrne applauded staff and families at the centre for "broadening the minds of our future generation".

"At Marrickville we believe in offering children and families an inclusive program based on social justice," he told The Saturday Daily Telegraph.

"These are reflected through an open environment where alternative perspectives, values, beliefs, lifestyles and people&#39;s identities are respected and accepted."

The Daily Telegraph last year revealed the books -- produced by a non-profit program run by the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service of NSW -- were funded by the Attorney-Generals Department, which provided &#036;33,000 over two years.

The Saturday Daily Telegraph can reveal the Learn to Include books are also being used in private childcare centres across the state.

Child Care NSW president Lyn Connolly said there was no book list for centres to draw from, but in order for centres to meet "high quality" they relied on a variety of resources, including the Learn to Include books.

Marika Kontellis , whose three-year-old daughter Jasmin attends the centre, said although she was in a hetrosexual relationship she had no issue with the material being taught.

She said she could understand how some families might find the topics confronting or uncomfortable "but for us it is important to know that families come in different shapes and sizes and that&#39;s okay and that&#39;s good".

"Every day the kids are being told that it is okay that you are black, it is okay that you are gay, it&#39;s okay that families don&#39;t all look the same," Ms Kontellis said.

National Party Leader Andrew Stoner -- who last year forced former premier Bob Carr to investigate the use of the books in public schools -- said yesterday he was opposed to children being "brainwashed by a political correct agenda".

"It&#39;s just crazy. Children that young have no concept of these issues of sexuality," he said.

"Whether it is heterosexual sex or homosexual sex, it is the choice for parents to talk about it with their children -- not for an institution to start some political correct campaign."

Psychologist Lorraine Corne said yesterday it is essential the concept of gay and lesbians was introduced to young children in a proper way.

"You would introduce the concept like you would introduce the concept of sex," she said.

"It would be done at a level that they understand. It could be as simple as some people have a father and a mother and some people have two mothers and some have two fathers.

"It would have to be put in a very simplistic way otherwise it is beyond their comprehension and it would go above their heads," Ms Corne said.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/gay-bo...8754909758.html

GAY BOOKS AT DAYCARE &#39;INAPPROPRIATE&#39;

by Jano Gibson, 29/05/2006

Daycare centres should not be used to teach children about gay and lesbian relationships, says Premier Morris Iemma.

His comments come after a report claimed a Tempe childcare centre uses books that feature characters from same-sex parent families.

The Learn to Include books include titles such as The Rainbow Cubby House, which is about a young girl and her two mothers who build a cubby house in their backyard with a little boy and his two fathers.

Federal MP for Sydney Tanya Plibersek is quoted on the Learn to Include website as saying: "I know that the kids who are reading these books might just start life with the wonderful gift of growing up without homophobic prejudice. That&#39;s great for those individual kids and it&#39;s wonderful for our whole community too."

But Mr Iemma said children as young as two-years-old are being inappropriately drawn into a gay rights debate.

"Kids should be allowed to be kids and daycare centres should not be a battleground for gender politics. I do not personally believe it appropriate for two-year-olds to be dragged into the gay rights debate."

Parents who want such issues taught to their children should do so at home, not at daycare centres, he said.

"If parents feel particularly strongly about educating children on these issues there is plenty of scope for them to do so at home where they run no risk of offending other parents who may old opposing views and who may not be able to find childcare elsewhere."

Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby co-convenor, David Scamell, said the Learn to Include books simply teach children about acceptance and tolerance.

"Children are not being taught about sex education, but rather that some kids had two mums, some have two dads, and that&#39;s OK."

"It&#39;s unfortunate that the Daily Telegraph has wanted to jump on a bandwagon to beat up a story and it is unfortunate that it&#39;s been joined by the Premier&#39;s Department this morning," Mr Scamell said.

"[They] need to actually have a look at the educational material being taught at [the daycare centre] to realise that this actually quite a basic lesson ... they&#39;re quite important concepts but then they are not ones that go beyond the level of a five- or six-year-old."

A number of parents had chosen to send their children to the childcare centre because of the types of lessons that are taught there, he said.

"Given where the childcare centre is, it is highly likely that a number of children would come from same-sex families. If these lessons are not taught, then those children will continue to feel as though their family is not valued or accepted."

He said the the front-page of the Daily Telegraph "is probably the best reason why we actually need to have these lessons in school."

Marrickville Mayor Sam Byrne said the Premier&#39;s comments were an example of the "hysteria&#39;&#39; that had erupted over the use of the Learn to Include books at the council&#39;s seven day care centres.

"It&#39;s not a gay rights debate. It&#39;s not sex education. It&#39;s about inclusion and about having material that reflects the diversity of our community,&#39;&#39; Mr Byrne said.

"If the Premier, or anybody else out there, thinks that there are not families out there with two mums or there are not families out there with disabilities [or] from different backgrounds, then they are mad. They are crazy. They need to get out and get amongst the people again.&#39;&#39;

[Reuben]

Originally posted by rioters bloc@Jun 5 2006, 11:59 AM
relevant stuff that happened in aus recently:

http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,...5001022,00.html

GAY CARE CENTRE

by Kim Linden, 27/05/2006

A COUNCIL-run childcare centre is teaching toddlers that gay, lesbian and "transgender" parents are normal in a bid to "challenge the perception" of young children about sexuality.

The Tillman Park Children&#39;s Centre in Tempe -- which receives council and government funding -- has devised the gay-friendly curriculum for children aged six weeks to six years.

Marrickville Mayor Sam Byrne said the centre had "successfully adopted several strategies to encompass lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inter-sex issues".

These included ensuring images were reflective of "diverse families" and "actively affirming the identity of lesbian and gay families".

He said the centre challenged "children&#39;s perception of what is &#39;normal&#39; gender and sexual identity".

The centre uses controversial Learn to Include books, which feature Jed and his Dads and The Rainbow Cubby House.

Mr Byrne applauded staff and families at the centre for "broadening the minds of our future generation".

"At Marrickville we believe in offering children and families an inclusive program based on social justice," he told The Saturday Daily Telegraph.

"These are reflected through an open environment where alternative perspectives, values, beliefs, lifestyles and people&#39;s identities are respected and accepted."

The Daily Telegraph last year revealed the books -- produced by a non-profit program run by the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service of NSW -- were funded by the Attorney-Generals Department, which provided &#036;33,000 over two years.

The Saturday Daily Telegraph can reveal the Learn to Include books are also being used in private childcare centres across the state.

Child Care NSW president Lyn Connolly said there was no book list for centres to draw from, but in order for centres to meet "high quality" they relied on a variety of resources, including the Learn to Include books.

Marika Kontellis , whose three-year-old daughter Jasmin attends the centre, said although she was in a hetrosexual relationship she had no issue with the material being taught.

She said she could understand how some families might find the topics confronting or uncomfortable "but for us it is important to know that families come in different shapes and sizes and that&#39;s okay and that&#39;s good".

"Every day the kids are being told that it is okay that you are black, it is okay that you are gay, it&#39;s okay that families don&#39;t all look the same," Ms Kontellis said.

National Party Leader Andrew Stoner -- who last year forced former premier Bob Carr to investigate the use of the books in public schools -- said yesterday he was opposed to children being "brainwashed by a political correct agenda".

"It&#39;s just crazy. Children that young have no concept of these issues of sexuality," he said.

"Whether it is heterosexual sex or homosexual sex, it is the choice for parents to talk about it with their children -- not for an institution to start some political correct campaign."

Psychologist Lorraine Corne said yesterday it is essential the concept of gay and lesbians was introduced to young children in a proper way.

"You would introduce the concept like you would introduce the concept of sex," she said.

"It would be done at a level that they understand. It could be as simple as some people have a father and a mother and some people have two mothers and some have two fathers.

"It would have to be put in a very simplistic way otherwise it is beyond their comprehension and it would go above their heads," Ms Corne said.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/gay-bo...8754909758.html

GAY BOOKS AT DAYCARE &#39;INAPPROPRIATE&#39;

by Jano Gibson, 29/05/2006

Daycare centres should not be used to teach children about gay and lesbian relationships, says Premier Morris Iemma.

His comments come after a report claimed a Tempe childcare centre uses books that feature characters from same-sex parent families.

The Learn to Include books include titles such as The Rainbow Cubby House, which is about a young girl and her two mothers who build a cubby house in their backyard with a little boy and his two fathers.

Federal MP for Sydney Tanya Plibersek is quoted on the Learn to Include website as saying: "I know that the kids who are reading these books might just start life with the wonderful gift of growing up without homophobic prejudice. That&#39;s great for those individual kids and it&#39;s wonderful for our whole community too."

But Mr Iemma said children as young as two-years-old are being inappropriately drawn into a gay rights debate.

"Kids should be allowed to be kids and daycare centres should not be a battleground for gender politics. I do not personally believe it appropriate for two-year-olds to be dragged into the gay rights debate."

Parents who want such issues taught to their children should do so at home, not at daycare centres, he said.

"If parents feel particularly strongly about educating children on these issues there is plenty of scope for them to do so at home where they run no risk of offending other parents who may old opposing views and who may not be able to find childcare elsewhere."

Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby co-convenor, David Scamell, said the Learn to Include books simply teach children about acceptance and tolerance.

"Children are not being taught about sex education, but rather that some kids had two mums, some have two dads, and that&#39;s OK."

"It&#39;s unfortunate that the Daily Telegraph has wanted to jump on a bandwagon to beat up a story and it is unfortunate that it&#39;s been joined by the Premier&#39;s Department this morning," Mr Scamell said.

"[They] need to actually have a look at the educational material being taught at [the daycare centre] to realise that this actually quite a basic lesson ... they&#39;re quite important concepts but then they are not ones that go beyond the level of a five- or six-year-old."

A number of parents had chosen to send their children to the childcare centre because of the types of lessons that are taught there, he said.

"Given where the childcare centre is, it is highly likely that a number of children would come from same-sex families. If these lessons are not taught, then those children will continue to feel as though their family is not valued or accepted."

He said the the front-page of the Daily Telegraph "is probably the best reason why we actually need to have these lessons in school."

Marrickville Mayor Sam Byrne said the Premier&#39;s comments were an example of the "hysteria&#39;&#39; that had erupted over the use of the Learn to Include books at the council&#39;s seven day care centres.

"It&#39;s not a gay rights debate. It&#39;s not sex education. It&#39;s about inclusion and about having material that reflects the diversity of our community,&#39;&#39; Mr Byrne said.

"If the Premier, or anybody else out there, thinks that there are not families out there with two mums or there are not families out there with disabilities [or] from different backgrounds, then they are mad. They are crazy. They need to get out and get amongst the people again.&#39;&#39;

based on my observations in UK schools measures like this are seriously needed. Its prett clear that at least in london Homophobia is one of the biggest problems in school. IMO a Far bigger problem than racism for 2 reasons: firstly its prevelance - many people, possibly most of your peers will superficially at least deem racism to be socially unacceptable. Secondly school authorities do not do shit to confront issues of homophobia: back when i was in secondary school id see kids yell &#39;gay&#39; or &#39;battyboy&#39; across the class room and be asked not to shout out: needless to say, if they were shouting &#39;nigger&#39; or &#39;jew&#39; the reaction would be very different.

[Mujer Libre]

On RB&#39;s articles, I dind it really bizarre how people who&#39;re against these books and stuff always come up with the "our children are too young for sexuality" argument.

The fact is, that&#39;s not what this whole push is about, it&#39;s about diversity of families. I remember being little and finding out my friend had two mums- you totally don&#39;t think about sex. It&#39;s just, "Oh, ok, her family&#39;s a bit different." We just shrugged and kept playing...

It&#39;s not like "The Rainbow Cubbyhouse" discusses queer sexual attraction in great detail...

[Herman]

I think it is fantastic that schools should start teaching children about homosexuality. A new generation will at last not care about anyone&#39;s sexuality, just about their personality. Of course, you have them conservatives who&#39;ll yap in your ear &#39;Oh no&#33; My children&#33; They&#39;re being poisoned&#33; Run young Sam&#33;&#39;.

[rioters bloc]

Originally posted by Mujer Libre@Jun 6 2006, 12:56 PM
On RB&#39;s articles, I dind it really bizarre how people who&#39;re against these books and stuff always come up with the "our children are too young for sexuality" argument.

The fact is, that&#39;s not what this whole push is about, it&#39;s about diversity of families. I remember being little and finding out my friend had two mums- you totally don&#39;t think about sex. It&#39;s just, "Oh, ok, her family&#39;s a bit different." We just shrugged and kept playing...

It&#39;s not like "The Rainbow Cubbyhouse" discusses queer sexual attraction in great detail...

yeah, exactly. it&#39;s about teaching kids that there&#39;s no such thing as &#39;normal&#39;, and to be open-minded. how the fuck is that a bad thing? i really don&#39;t understand it. with a few books, heterosexism could be thwarted from a very young age, in a large number of kids&#33; but of course, that&#39;s too &#39;radical&#39; an idea <_<

for sexuality week next semester we&#39;re having a forum called "does sexuality have a place in our education system?" (yes, we FINALLY decided on the topic at queer collective today :P) you should tell black dagger to come oh and you too of course... if you didn&#39;t live in melbs...