A Jackson Mississippi high school called off their prom this year. School policy requires that senior prom dates be of the opposite sex. Rather than allow 18-year-old senior, Constance McMillen, to wear a tuxedo and bring her girlfriend to the dance, the school board decided to cancel the prom.

The ACLU filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court to force the school to hold the prom and allow McMillen to bring whomever she chooses and wear whatever she wants, arguing that banning same-sex prom dates violates McMillen’s constitutional rights.

They must be reading a different constitution than the one I have. I don’t recall reading anything in my copy about same-sex prom dates.

Mayor Paul Walker and the community of 4,000 support the school board’s decision.

“Same-sex prom dates and cross-dressing are new issues for many high schools around the country,” said Daryl Presgraves, a spokesman for GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

A bill introduced into Congress by U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-CO, would make it illegal to discriminate against gay and lesbian school students.

The bible clearly states that homosexuality is a sin. That does not mean that we hate these people or abuse them, but there are some limits to what is acceptable at school functions. I applaud the school district for sticking to their standards and hope the ACLU and the federal government keep their nose out of something that is a local issue. No one has a “right” to a school prom.

UPDATE 3/24/2010

A federal judge ruled March 23 that the school district’s actions violated Constance McMillen’s constitutional rights opening the door for Constance to sue the school for damages.

U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson refused the American Civil Liberties Union’s demand to force the Itawamba County school district to put on the April 2 prom. However, he said canceling it did violate 18-year-old Constance McMillen’s rights and that he would hold a trial on the issue.

The judge noted that McMillen has been openly gay since she was in the eighth grade and that she intended to communicate a message by wearing a tuxedo and escorting a same-sex date.

“The court finds this expression and communication falls squarely within the purview of the First Amendment,” Davidson said.

She has appeared on the “The Early Show,” “The Wanda Sykes Show” and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” to talk about how she is fighting for tolerance. DeGeneres presented her with a $30,000 college scholarship from Tonic, a digital media company.

American Family Association spoke out about the case: “This is not about speech at all, but about the homosexual agenda. It’s about the schoolyard bullies at the ACLU using an activist federal judge to force schools to normalise sexually aberrant behaviour.”

How would you like your children memorizing and singing lyrics such as:

• Don’t make noise, but Daddy’s kissing boys
• Marvin was never mine, he took his meetings in the boys’ latrine
• Great, men will be men – let me turn on the gas – I saw them in the den with Marvin grabbing Whizzer’s a–

Whatever happened to thanking God for all His blessings and remembering the Pilgrims on Thanksgiving?

More details at: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=117242

On April 27, 2005, David Parker, of Lexington, MA was arrested and charged with “trespassing” at the Estabrook Elementary School.

This occurred during a meeting scheduled by the Principal of Estabrook, Joni Jay, to discuss the Parkers’ request that the school abide by the Massachusetts Parental Notification Law concerning curriculum involving human sexuality issues.

Parker said he met with school officials to gain those assurances and then refused to leave until he got them. Parker stayed at Estabrook School for more than two hours as officials and Lexington police urged him to leave. Finally, they arrested him for trespassing.

Parker, who refused to bail himself out of jail, said he spent the night in custody to prove a point. (The trespassing charges were later dropped.)

”I chose to stay, which I’m not sure was a wise move,” he said. ”But I wanted to see how far they would go for asking something simple.” Parker said he wanted to control ”the timing and manner” in which his son learned about ”adult themes.”

The controversy began when Parker’s son, a kindergarten student, brought home a “diversity bookbag” with several items in it. Among them was the book, ”Who’s In a Family?” by Robert Skutch showing different kinds of families, including same-sex couples.

The night before Parker’s arrest, he addressed the Lexington School Committee during their public meeting.

“Children who are successfully indoctrinated that same-sex marriage is normal and correct will eventually understand that sexual intimacy is a part of this union. Let’s not be naive about the implied human sexuality aspect of same-sex unions. Let’s be honest with ourselves. When we accept same-sex unions, we accept its implied . . . sexual intimacy. These concepts are indeed inextricably linked.”

Parker and his wife requested that the school, in the future, ensure that teachers remove their children from discussions of same-sex households.

It was explained to Parker and his wife that the policy allowing students to opt out of discussions of human sexuality was not relevant here.

Judge Mark Wolf dismissed the Parker’s federal civil rights lawsuit, stating that because Massachusetts allows same-sex “marriage,” the state has a “rational interest” in fostering its acceptance.

More than a dozen groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Anti-Defamation League and the Massachusetts Teachers’ Association, have backed the Lexington schools. The Supreme Court has refused to hear the Parker’s appeal.

According to Boston lawyer Daniel Avila, associate director for the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, “Parents shouldn’t have to check their moral values at the door when their kids enter the public school system. Books about same-sex coupling clearly transmit values even if they aren’t labeled sex education.”

Sources:

http://www.davidparkerfund.org

http://www.massresistance.org

Nettelhorst Elementary School parent Amy Goodman prepares a wagon for the 40th annual Pride Parade with daughter Sadie Blade, 3, while son Ben Blade, 6, plays in their home. (Tribune photo by Phil Velasquez / June 24, 2009)

While Nettlehorst administrators deny official endorsement of the parade participation, students and parents from Nettlehorst Elementary School were the first contingent to march in the parade, carrying a large banner with the school’s name on it.

“A few Nettelhorst parents balked at the parade and the fence project (school fence decorated in rainbow colors), and a group not affiliated with the school posted a hateful blog item. But the vast majority of Nettelhorst parents have embraced this effort. Straight parents helped with the fence project, signed up for the parade, volunteered for the diversity committee or simply offered an encouraging word. For the same-sex parents, this has been the most meaningful part.”

I’m sure we’ll see more of this now that we have a president in office who recently held a Gay Pride Month celebration at the White House. Obama said he hopes to persuade all Americans to accept homosexuality. “”There are good and decent people in this country who don’t yet fully embrace their gay brothers and sisters — not yet,” said the president. “That’s why I’ve spoken about these issues — not just in front of you — but in front of unlikely audiences, in front of African-American church members.”

Obama acknowledged that many Americans still disapprove of homosexuality. “There are still fellow citizens, perhaps neighbors or even family members and loved ones, who still hold fast to worn arguments and old attitudes,” he stated.

Would that be the Bible that he’s referring to as “worn arguments and old attitudes?”

Read the following descriptions of what goes on at “gay” pride parades and see whether you think it’s anything children should be participating in. Is this what Obama is calling us to “fully embrace?”

http://www.illinoisfamily.org
http://americansfortruth.com

“I will be wearing a suit,” Garcia said, “but don’t be fooled, deep down inside, I am a queen!”

“At one time, prom may have been a big popularity contest where the best-looking guy or girl were crowned king and queen. Things have changed and it’s no longer just about who has the most friends or who wears the coolest clothes,” Garcia told the crowd of seniors. “Sure, I’m not your typical prom queen candidate. There’s more to me than meets the eye.”

The audience erupted in applause after his speech, and a group of his female friends spent the rest of the week wearing pink crowns and campaigning for him.

Jennings was quoted in Marble Collegiate Church as saying members of the “religious right” were “hard core bigots” who comprised about 20 percent of the electorate.

“We have to quit being afraid of the religious right. We also have to quit – I’m trying to find a way to say this. I’m trying not to say, ‘F*** ‘em!’ which is what I want to say, because I don’t care what they think!” Jennings told his audience, which pealed with laughter. “Drop dead!”

In 1997 Jennings said that he looked forward to the day when parents would react to reports that schools are “promoting homosexuality” by saying, “Yeah, who cares?”

Who is going to keep students safe from Mr. Jennings? Take your kids out!

Have you noticed that Obama does not have his own daughters in a public school that will promote homosexuality?

Amy Carter attended Washington, DC, public schools, including Stevens Elementary School and Hardy Middle School.

In 1964 I entered the first grade. I still remember the early readers we used and the characters, Dick and Jane, their younger sister, Sally, their dog Spot and cat, Puff. Dick and Jane had a female mother, one of them, and one male father. It seems bizarre to me that I even need to clarify that.

Typical dialog went like this, “See Dick run. Run Dick, run.” Not the most exciting material and probably not the best phonetic approach for beginning readers, but at least it was wholesome and family-oriented.

The temperature in the pot is pretty high in Alameda County California. The school district recently approved a mandatory program, LGBT Lesson #9, for the 2009/2010 school year. The program will be taught to students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Although two of the five board members believed students should have the chance to opt out, the district’s legal counsel recommended against it, claiming that the curriculum does not deal with health or sex education, topics that require opt-out provisions. The school district says it will reassess the curriculum after it is in place for one year.

I say you do have an opt-out. Get out of the public schools altogether!

As part of the curriculum, “And Tango Makes Three,” a story about two homosexual penguins, by J. Richardson and P. Parnell will be read to second-graders. The book is based on a true story about two penguins, Roy and Silo, in the Central Park Zoo.

Roy and Silo are described as being “a little bit different.”

“They didn’t spend much time with the girl penguins, and the girl penguins didn’t spend much time with them,”

When the male penguins nurture an egg, it soon hatches. “We’ll call her Tango, because it takes two to make a Tango.”

“Tango was the very first penguin in the zoo to have two daddies.”

How did we get from “Dick and Jane” to the homosexual propaganda in “Tango” in 35 years? Just like the frog analogy, it was a gradual process – bit by bit, compromise by compromise. The temperature is near the boiling point. It’s time to jump out of the pot before it’s too late.

Don’t think this is just California – coming soon to a school district near you.

Click the Read More icon to find out more about the curriculum and what happened to Roy and Silo!

LGBT Lesson #9 List of Famous LGBT People (all 11 of them)
http://www.alameda.k12.ca.us/LGBT/Famous%20LGBT%20people.pdf

LGBT Lesson #9 Vocabulary List
http://www.alameda.k12.ca.us/LGBT/Vocabulary%20Words.pdf

Including terminology such as:

Transgender:  A person whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth.

Gay:  Both men and women are romantically involved in a committed relationship with someone of the same sex.

Simon and Schuster, publisher of “Tango” has an educator’s study guide on their website.
http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=22&pid=505791&agid=21

The study guide includes very leading questions, such as:

2. “Family” is a prominent theme in And Tango Makes Three. Discuss the concept of a “family.” What constitutes a family? Tango’s family is different, but how is it the same as any other family in the zoo? In the world?

3. Roy and Silo are a little bit different from the other penguins in the zoo. What does it mean to be different? Why is it sometimes good to be different?

4. The Central Park Zoo, where And Tango Makes Three takes place, is home to all kinds of animal families. But Tango’s family is unlike the other families in the zoo. Tango has two fathers instead of the traditional mother and father. Do you have a nontraditional family, or do you know someone who does? Do you think that Tango is missing out by not having a mother?

5. Mr. Gramzay, the penguin keeper at the Central Park Zoo, is very sympathetic to Roy and Silo. He is accepting of their differences and wants to help them become a family. How can you learn from Mr. Gramzay’s actions in the book? Who else is accepting of Roy, Silo, and Tango in this story?

6. Mr. Gramzay decides to give Roy and Silo an egg to hatch in their nest. Why do you think he does this? What does he see in Roy and Silo that makes him decide that they would be good at raising a baby? Do you think that Roy and Silo are good parents? Why?

Roy and Silo – The Rest of the Story. Will this make it into the next LGBT curriculum?

Gay Penguins Break Up
FoxNews  Friday, September 16, 2005

New York City’s most famous gay penguin couple has split up.

Even worse, one of them has taken up with a female penguin new to the Central Park Zoo , the New York Post reports.

Silo and Roy, two male chinstrap penguins native to the South Atlantic, made local headlines six years ago when they came out with their same-sex relationship.

Since then, the pair have successfully hatched and raised an adopted chick — after trying to incubate a rock — and become role models for six other same-sex couples among penguins at the zoo.

That all ended when Scrappy, a single female newly arrived from SeaWorld in San Diego, caught Silo’s eye.

“Silo and Roy stopped spending as much time together or building a nest,” said John Rowden, curator of animals at the zoo.

Silo promptly moved in with Scrappy, building a new nest with her. Zookeepers were at a loss to explain Silo’s sudden conversion.

“Why does anyone bond? Why do people want to get married and divorced?” said Dr. Dee Boersma , penguin expert at the University of Washington in Seattle. “Presumably, they’ve got their reasons.”

Silo and his hot-feathered home-wrecker have yet to produce an egg, but they’ve been busy trying.

On Thursday, Roy, all alone, sat disconsolately at the edge of the penguin area, staring at the wall.

“If you got divorced, would you want to see your old mate around?” reasoned Boersma.

Besides, she added, “he’s probably courting other penguins, getting ready for next season.”

P.S. Note about boiling frogs…
According to Snopes, this legend is incorrect. (Where were the PETA people when they were conducting the boiling frog experiments?)

The ‘critical thermal maxima’ of many species of frogs have been determined by several investigators. In this procedure, the water in which a frog is submerged is heated gradually at about 2 degrees Fahrenheit per minute. As the temperature of the water is gradually increased, the frog will eventually become more and more active in attempts to escape the heated water. If the container size and opening allow the frog to jump out, it will do so.

http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/frogboil.asp