Sunday, September 16, 2007

California Bias Ban Targets "Mom" and "Dad"

The tolerance police are out in force again in California. This time, they want to eliminate usage of the terms "Mom" and "Dad" among other things.

A new plan approved by the California Legislature could be used to ban the words "dad" or "mom" in all public schools as being discriminatory against "partner 1"' and "partner 2" in same-sex relationships, according to critics...

It bans any teaching or activities in schools that "promotes a discriminatory bias against" homosexuals, transgenders, bisexuals, and those with gender (perceived or actual) issues. England said the essence of SB 777 is that it seeks to normalize alternative lifestyles in California schools with special recognition for homosexuality, bisexuality, and transexuality.

Meredith Turney, the legislative liaison for the CRFI, said a clear picture of what will be demanded of schools in the state can be obtained by looking at the Los Angeles Unified School District, which already has adopted many of the requirements being set up for statewide use now.

"LAUSD policy instructs schools to provided access to restroom and locker room facilities that 'corresponds to the gender identity that the student consistently asserts at school.' If a male student 'consistently asserts' himself as a female at school, he will be granted access to female restrooms and locker rooms. This poses a serious danger to the safety of young female students," Turney said.

"SB 777 will implement statewide the shocking policies LAUSD already enforces. Concerned parents do not want such radical, perplexing policies in their local schools. Parents want the assurance that when their children go to school they will learn the fundamentals of reading, writing and arithmetic-not social indoctrination regarding alternative sexual lifestyles," she said.

"SB 777 also will do away with such 'arcane' terms as 'mom and dad' and 'husband and wife,'" stated England. "'Promoting a discriminatory bias' is so vague that it could be interpreted to mean that any reference to traditional families is discriminatory and requires equal time for radical sexual behavior."

Remember Jeromy Brown? He argued that gay marriage wouldn't lead to other changes and that arguing that it would alter heterosexual marriage is a slippery slope. I can't help but think that the educational changes being proposed in California aren't simply an extension of gay rights, which includes gay marriage. I doubt seriously that objections to "Mom" and "Dad" would be legitimized without other changes to domestic definitions.