Parents: Do your research.
Some tolerance lessons taught to our kids --learning respect and civility toward people of all races and ethnic backgrounds-- are valuable. And certainly, we need to stop the cruelty involved in bullying.
Unfortunately, many of the lessons in our schools have been corrupted by adding to these positive messages the poisonous myth that accepting homosexuality and “transgendered” behaviors is desirable, while objecting to them--even in a civil way--is “harassment,” “discrimination” and even “bullying.”
Below are some school materials that include this unacceptable message.
About the question of censorship, see our article on censorship (WHo's Doing the Censoring?) for common sense about how to deal with the issue.
A. Tolerance/Diversity and Anti-Bullying Curricula/Books
These encourage acceptance of homosexuality and instill prejudice against those who object to it. Unfortunately, this is not an exhaustive list; there are many other materials we were not able to look at which are also potentially objectionable.
1. Any SEED -based curricula or materials. SEED stands for Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity.
2. The Truth about Hate, video for middle/high school, from AIMS Multimedia.
3. Straight from the Heart -- talks to high schoolers about “homophobia”-- from Women Vision
4. No Dissing --from the “No Name-Calling Week” coalition, formed by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Educational Network. For 7-12 grade; includes a video and curriculum guide. No Name Calling Week is observed at the end of January.
5. Get Real! Set of four comic books for kids 8-14. From Teaching for Change.
6. Building Community and Combating Hate: Lessons for the Middle School Classroom, from the Partners Against Hate and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).This receives funding from our U.S. Department of Education Safe and Drug Free Schools program.
7. Helping Children Resist Bias and Hate Crimes, training for teachers of elementary students, funding from U.S. Department of Education Safe and Drug Free Schools program. This program is not only pro-homosexual but anti-Christian.
8. Families All Matter, book project for children from aMaze. Presents families headed by two homosexuals as a normal alternative.
9. Overcoming Prejudice, Promoting Tolerance-- video for grades 9-12, Jaguar Educational.
10. Embracing Diversity, Respecting Others, by Robin Porter and Kathy Checkley
11. A Classroom of Difference from A World of Difference (Anti-Defamation League curricula)
12. The Power of Words, an anti-bullying curricula, from Teaching Tolerance (Southern Poverty Law Center materials)
13. Dealing With Differences, Sage Publications
14. Healing the Hate, middle school workbook, Education Development Center, Newton, Mass.
15. Opening the Door to Diversity, middle school video and lesson plans, from AT&T, Court TV, and Educational Development Center.
16. Let’s Get Real, a video on bullying for middle schoolers, from Women’s Education Media
17. The Children’s March from Teaching Tolerance (Southern Poverty Law Center)
18. That’s a Family video, “helping kids understand all kinds of family structures” (including homosexuals), from Women’s Educational Media
19. A World of Difference: An Activity Guide to Celebrate Diversity and Combat Prejudice for Children Ages 6-12 and The Prejudice Book: Activities for the Classroom, for elementary grades, from the Anti-Defamation League, Washington State Chapter.
20.Anti-Bias Curriculum, by L. Derman-Sparks and the ABC Task Force. Pre-K - Kindergarten. National Association for the Education of Young Children.
21. It’s Elementary, pro-homosexual teacher training video, from Women’s Educational Media.
22.My Family Is Special, for young children, from Women’s Education Media.
23.Learning the Skills of Peacemaking: An Activity Guide for Elementary-Age Children on Communicating, Cooperating, Resolving Conflict. Jalmar Press.
24. Learning to Hate, video from PBS narrated by Bill Moyers, for high school.
25. Understanding Prejudice, video for high school from Cambridge Educational Productions.
26. Words Can Hurt You: Beginning a Program of Anti-Bias Education, by Barbara Thomson, from Addison-Wesley.
27. Racial and Sexual Stereotyping, high school video.
28. Awareness and Understanding: Teaching about Prejudice, Tolerance and the Holocaust, an activity book for elementary grades, by Mary Lloyd, Children's Museum, Seattle.
29. Both of My Moms Are Named Judy: Children of Lesbians and Gays Speak Out. Video for elementary grades. From Gay and Lesbian Parents Coalition.
30. Daddy and Papa: Stories of Gay Fathers in America, film for middle and high school.
31. Just Call Me Kade, film about a transgendered student, for middle and high school, from Frameline.
32. Being Gay: Coming Out in the 21st Century, video and teacher’s guide. For high school. From Films for the Humanities and Sciences.
33. In Other Words and One of Them, videos about “GLBT” students, for middle and high school, from the National Film Board of Canada.
34. Every Girl Every Boy, middle and high school poster that “confronts the binary of male and female identities.” Pro-homosexual and “transgendered” lifestyles. From Syracuse Cultural Workers.
35. Tackling Gay Issues in School: A Resource Module by Leif Mitchell, co-sponsored by GLSEN and Planned Parenthood of Connecticut.
36. One Teacher In Ten: Gay and lesbian educators tell their stories, Kevin Jennings, ed., Alyson Publications, 1994
37. Queering Elementary Education,William J. Letts IV and James T. Sears, eds., Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
B. Books on alternative “families” used in elementary schools
1. The Family Book, Todd Parr
2. King and King, Tricycle Press, Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland
3. Molly’s Family, from Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
4. The Duke Who Outlawed Jellybeans, Alyson Publications
5. Asha’s Mums, Women’s Press
6. Anna Day and The O-Ring, Alyson Publications
7. Who’s In a Family? Tricycle Press
8. How My Family Came to Be: Daddy Papa and Me, Andrew Aldrich
9. Daddy’s Roommate, Michael Willhoite
10. My House, Brenna and Vicki Harding
11. All Families are Different, Sol Gordon
12. A B C, A Family Alphabet Book, Bobbie Combs
13. 1 2 3, A Family Counting Book, Bobbie Combs
14. Name Calling, Itah Sadu
15. Is Your Family Like Mine? Lois Abramchik
16. Felicia’s Favorite Story, Leslea Newman
17. Who’s in a Family? Robert Skutch
18. Saturday is Patty Day, Leslea Newman
For many more objectionable titles, see
www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/educator/booklink/K-6.html
C. Books for middle and high school with homosexual themes
1. Holly’s Secret, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
2. Kissing Kate, Lauren Myracle
3. Rainbow Boys, Alex Sanchez
4. Rainbow High, Alex Sanchez
5. So Hard to Say, Alex Sanchez
6. Love Rules, Morning Glory Press.
7. Stitches, about an effeminate boy. From Groundword Books.
8. Boy Meets Boy, about “a world where homophobia has vanished.” Alfred A.Knopf Publishers.
9. ‘Hello,’ I Lied, M.E. Kerr
10. Weetzie Bat and Dangerous Angels, books by Francesca Lia Block.
11. Entries from A Hot Pink Notebook, Todd Brown
12. My Father’s Scar: A Novel, Michael Cart
13. Annie on my Mind, Nancy Garden
14. Box Girl, Sarah Withrow
12. Growing Up Gay/ Growing Up Lesbian, ed. Bennett Singer, New Press
13. Out of the Ordinary, stories by children of homosexual parents, St. Martin’s Press.
14. Out of the Closet, Into Our Hearts, about homosexual students and parents, Leyland Publications, San Francisco.
15. School’s Out. Openly homosexual teachers tell their stories. Alyson Publications.
16. The Shared Heart, about homosexual youth. William Morrow & Co., New York.
17. Revolutionary Voices:A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology, Alyson Books.
18. Queer 13: Lesbian and Gay Writers Recall Seventh Grade, Clifford Chase, ed
20. In Your Face: Stories From the Lives of Queer Youth, Harrington Park Press
19. Love & Sex: ten stories of truth, edited by Michael Cart
20. Free Your Mind: The Book for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth and Their Allies, Ellen Bass & Kate Kaufman
21. Two Teenagers in Twenty, ed. Ann Heron, Alyson Books
For many other objectionable books, see
www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/educator/booklink/7-12.html
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