For all the complaints about �paper clubs� this email went out from the Tehama Club President. (a new club)  Their club was started with 45 members � including the gal that sang at the CRA convention.  I can only hope that all CRA local clubs are doing the same.

 
For those interested in getting involved in helping place a referendum to put SB 777 on the ballet and to allow CA voters, not legislators to decided what they want their children taught, I have obtained a large number of petitions and can forward them on to you.

I also have information about how to start a petition drive in your areas.  After I sent out an e-mail on this a week ago, I recivied an overwhelming amount of e-mail from people wanting to know how to get involved.

Well this is your chance. Get back to me and I'll send you some more info.

When I first read this online I was skeptical. I wondered how on earth this got passed and why wasn't it on the news. A friend at church asked me about it, i told him that I thought it was probably an over zealous e-mail thing you know like that one about the FCC stepping in to cancel "Touched by an Angel" etc. But I told him I'd look into it and so I called our State Assemblyman who told me that no, its true.

This isn't a joke. This is for real. It was signed into law on Oct. 12, 2007.  In CA gender is no longer considered a biological factor, but it is now a "personally perceived concept." School are now going to have to adhere to certain laws that "protect children's civil rights."

The disingenuous proponents of SB 777 argue that the bill simply "streamlines" the law and helps "protect" homosexual and transgender youth from bullying. However, such issues of bullying and harassment could be solved by enforcing discipline in the classroom, regardless of its victim's race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. This can be done without promoting any specific lifestyle choice or forcing a gay or straight agenda on anyone on either side.

Beginning next year:

* California textbooks will no longer be able to use words like 'mother and father' and 'husband and wife,' because they suggest that heterosexuality is the norm.

* The law allows students to use the restrooms and locker rooms of the opposite sex if they identify with that gender. If a male perceives himself as a female, he must be granted access to female locker rooms and restrooms. He must be allowed to participate in female sports activities.

* Banned would be any factual discussion of the health risks of alternate lifestyles or any religious objections on the part of students. Translation, teaching that AIDS has anything at all to do with homosexual activity would be forbidden.

* A school sponsored activity includes sports activities, prom, and other gatherings would also be altered or banned outright.

*  If the student wishes to keep his perceived gender status from his parents, the teachers and administration must refer to the masculine pronoun (him/he) when talking to the parents and use the feminine pronoun (she/her) at school. This shocking policy treats parents as the enemy of the transgender student. The enemy of their own children. Teachers are expected to abet the student in keeping vital information from parents.

I want to make it clear that I hate discrimination of any kind. I do have friends who are gay and I've seen them suffer and feel like they are second class citizens. As far as sexuality is concerned, I don't believe that it automatically makes them a good or bad person. Its what they do and how they act that determines that and thats based on what they believe is moral and that is their choice. That is an exercise of agency and not something that I have any right other then to decided for myself if it is right or wrong. Its when groups force it on people that I have a problem with it. I honestly don't think this should be something that is taught either way in schools.  I hope that my friends who are gay won't see this as an attack on them. It's not.

However, I don't think that the government should have the right to force this kind of stuff on us either. I think that parents should be parents. I think that this kind of legislation undermines the important role of parents when it comes to raising children and the role of schools in educating and not indoctrinating. What is  ironic is because of separation of church and state, we don't have the right to talk about God or beliefs in school. But these kinds of laws allow for values to be taught in schools. Some would argue that "well times have changed" or "parents just aren't doing that" well this isn't the answer. Schools are to teach children how to read and write and do math. Its not fair to surconvient parents rights for a few children whose parents may be lacking. And no its not alright to bully. But again this could be controlled with better classroom supervision and not laws that force beliefs and values on people.

I'm fairly certain that if this law was reversed and schools had to teach that "heterosexuality" was the norm. That the other side would be out in arms against it and screaming discrimination. So is there any wonder why those of us who believe in true tolerance, who think that it should be up to the person using their own beliefs and not the government to make choices would think that this law is wrong?