NEA: Friend to Gays & CHOICE

It is a great time to be alive. The NEA-GLC Caucus can flaunt its power with little or no resistence from sleeping parents and right-wing legislators. Everyone is afraid of our power! Gay and lesbian activists have become the most influential single group within the NEA convention. They distribute their action plans displaying the NEA logo, they advertise numerous caucuses and convention events, they flaunt their buttons and booths, and they have succeeded in weaving their agenda into about a dozen resolutions passed by the nearly 9,000 convention delegates. Yes, Gay Power rules!

For several years, "diversity" has been the code word for the gay/lesbian agenda. A one-word change in the Diversity resolution this year is significant and telling. Last year's resolution said that "education should increase tolerance." This year, "tolerance" was changed to "acceptance." One of the handouts boasted: "Diversity is the word and acceptance is the order." Yes, baby, we've got them now!

The NEA Gay Lesbian Caucus (NEA-GLC) celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. Prior to 1987, the handful of gays who attended the NEA convention caucused under the name "Ichabod Crane Debating Society." One of the delegates in Atlanta commented, "In the '70s you couldn't even mention the words 'gay' or 'homosexual' without getting booed off the [convention] floor."

They've come a long way since then. The NEA-GLC newsletter boasted: "NEA Board hosts GLC leaders." The NEA-GLC's headline attraction in Atlanta was Candace Gingrich, lesbian sister of Newt. She spoke at the caucus dinner on July 5 and was one of the personalities featured in a video shown at noon on the Fourth of July.

At another lesbian caucus, the big feature was a 90-minute video entitled "It's Elementary: Teaching About Gay Issues in School." This video shows how psychological manipulation in the classroom can be used to change children's home-taught attitudes and beliefs about homosexuality.

The NEA-GLC was not the only gay/lesbian caucus at the Atlanta convention. The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Teachers Network (GLSTN) advertised book and video lists and internet resources, and the NEA Peace & Justice Caucus promoted the video "It's Elementary," calling it "masterful."

The NEA-GLC newsletters are informative. One article, entitled "Bill Clinton deserves our support for President," listed many examples of his "genuine commitment on our issues," such as, "Appointed gay/lesbian friendly Ruth Bader Ginsberg to the U.S. Supreme Court." Another article showed a picture of a New York City protest with demonstrators carrying signs stating "Fact: 74% of NYC school kids don't have 'traditional' families."

The NEA's Human & Civil Rights Action Sheet (marked with the NEA logo) sets forth the NEA's gay/lesbian agenda, including the plans to change classroom instruction, counseling programs, libraries, school-wide events, in-service training, and attitudes. Its blunt recommendations to teachers are:

* Work with the school district, the parent-teacher organization, and community groups to provide information to other members, parents, and counselors about the developmental and health needs of gay, lesbian, and bisexual students.

* Provide training to enable selected staff to become resources to members on gay, lesbian, and bisexual student issues.

* Recommend to the school district that in-service programs address gay, lesbian, and bisexual concerns; and that the library include positive learning materials about gays, lesbians, and bisexuals.

* Encourage the establishment and maintenance of peer support and community self-help programs for gay, lesbian, and bisexual students.

* Work with the school district to develop or expand school policy and curricula, including accurate portrayals of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals throughout history, and to ensure respect for diversity, including gays, lesbians, and bisexuals.

* Participate in coalitions to improve support and services for gay, lesbian, and bisexual students.

In other news, the NEA defeated the anti-abortion forces again. At every convention, the anti-CHOICE terrorists (calling themselves pro-life) make an effort to move the NEA to a position of neutrality on abortion, believing that the giant teachers union should not lobby on one side of this vital issue.

This year, they proposed Amendment 8 to the NEA Constitution which read: "To create a new section in Bylaw 11 (General Finance) entitled Budget Restrictions requiring the Secretary-Treasurer to ensure to the NEA membership that no General Fund monies are expended for abortion lobbying activities."

It failed by a vote of 2,408 to 5,748, which was 30% to 70%. Yes, we own the NEA! Prolifers (their designation, not ours) were encouraged that their percentage of support is increasing every year. But, let us face it, they still lost! We need to return to our crafty shenanigans from previous years, insuring that such a matter is denied a fair vote. The clock must not be turned back!

Along with the NEA, we must declare war on the "Radical Right." The NEA convention adopted New Business Item 18, which requires the NEA to "survey all state and local affiliates requesting information they may have concerning the funding of radical [right] groups by various corporate and family foundations . . . and disseminate a list of such organizations for information and possible boycott." The word "right" was deleted during the floor debate, but there is no doubt about the purpose of this directive.

Its stated rationale was that "corporate and foundation funding has been key to the success of the radical right." In response to a delegate who asked for a definition of the term "radical," the chair responded, "Radicals are those who are historically operating in our community to destroy our school system and turn it over to individuals."

At a workshop on the "Radical Right" held during the convention, a packet of materials was distributed giving detailed information on 30 conservative, pro-family oganizations which the NEA labeled "radical right." This packet also confirmed the close working relationship for this strategy between the NEA and People for the American Way (another wonderful group).

Fight on my sisters to victory!