The following is merely an excerpt from Nightmare at Franklin, by Tom Mountain, published Nov 8, 2006, by Newton Tab; we encourage you to continue reading the full story…

Emer O’Shea knew something was wrong the minute she picked up her daughter from Franklin Elementary School. The third-grader was normally very perky upon seeing her mother and new baby sister, but this time she glanced at her mother without indicating what was wrong, except to say that the school’s social worker had visited the class. But Emer soon heard from another parent about what had happened in her daughter’s class that day, and she was both stunned and mortified. The next day her young daughter finally opened up with a question that would baffle most parents of an 8-year-old child, “Mommy, is it possible for a man to have an operation to become a woman?”

Transgenders and transvestites. These were the topics that a staff member at Franklin School in West Newton chose to teach to a class of third-grade children. The school’s social worker described to the children that some men like to dress up as women, and yes, some men even have operations to change into women.

The opportunity for this “teachable moment” – the kind that Superintendent Jeff Young likes to portray as merely responding to some child’s “random questioning” – occurred when the social worker was describing various families outside of the traditional mommy-and-daddy norm and showed the class a picture of a woman with two children, asking what they saw in the picture. A child then raised his hand to tell her (are you sitting sit down for this?) that he thought the picture was of a man who had a sex change operation and was now a woman. Apparently, the child’s own father was undergoing such an operation (which he/she has since completed).

The social worker then elaborated on this “teachable moment.” But this wasn’t just any social worker employed by the Newton Public Schools. This was Laura Perkins, former board member of GLSEN, the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network; or rather, “Laura Perkins, MSW, Franklin School and the Newton Early Childhood Program,” according to the GLSEN Boston Conference, where she hosted a seminar in which the “Rationale for integrating GLBT (Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender) issues in the early elementary years will be presented” and “classroom lessons demonstrated.” (See 5C.)

As a result of this particular “classroom lesson,” Emer’s daughter was petrified. For an 8-year-old accustomed to a child’s world of Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, the little girl had nightmares, and explained to her mother she was scared that her baby sister could turn into a boy.

So Emer did what any normal responsible parent would do – she demanded an explanation from the principal, Cynthia Marchand (617-559-9500). She and several other parents from this class met with the principal who, according to Emer, responded defensively and fully backed her staff member.

Emer then went to Superintendent’s Young’s office with her concerns. She handed Mr. Young a written description of what happened, whereupon the superintendent promised to respond to her soon. He didn’t. So after three weeks, she called to make an appointment. As Emer described it, Mr. Young remarked that the Parental Consent Law didn’t apply to this situation because, he claimed, the topic of discussion was not planned for. He concluded that it was really just “a teachable moment.”

Continue reading at TownOnline…

Excerpted from Hawaii Elects Nations Highest-Ranking Openly Transgender Official, published Nov 8, 2006, by Associated Press:

Kim Coco Iwamoto, a 38-year-old attorney, did not tout her gender status in the campaign but has advocated for transgender youth and related issues. She came in third Tuesday in the competition for three seats on the 14-member board, which governs the islands’ 285 public schools.

Iwamoto would be the highest-ranking openly transgender person elected in the United States, said Denis Dison, a spokesman for the Victory Fund, a Washington-based group that tracks lesbian, gay and transgender candidates and helps fund their campaigns.

Continue reading at Fox News…

From by Daniel T. Zanoza, National Director of Republicans for Fair Media, on Nov 8, 2006:

Tuesday’s election results in the state of Illinois is a lesson I thought Republicans learned long ago. Moderates cannot win statewide high-profile campaigns–like those for Governor or the U.S. Senate–without the wholehearted assistance of the religious right. No matter what individuals like Joe Birkett say, Judy Baar Topinka did not have a snowball’s chance in Hades to defeat her extremely vulnerable Democratic foe on Tuesday without the support of social conservatives. But don’t worry, individuals like former Republican Governors “Big Jim” Thompson and Jim Edgar will fight to their last breaths to defeat social conservatives in the primaries and, during the last decade, they have developed a strategy to do so.

Social conservatives were on a roll after the unexpected victory of Al Salvi versus Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra, the Republican Party’s establishment candidate, in 1996. Even though Salvi was a disappointment (after his primary victory) running up to the general election, the ground work had been laid for pro-life, pro-family candidates to succeed in Illinois.

Peter Fitzgerald took the ball to the end zone when he also surprised his establishment foe, Loleta Didrickson, in the 1998 GOP primary for the U.S. Senate. This time, Fitzgerald went on to become the United States Senator from Illinois, but this set off alarm bells among the powers that be and they developed a strategy to ensure this would never happen again.

The Republican establishment then infiltrated the rolls of the conservative ranks from that point on, in some cases, with the assistance of well known conservative politicians. The strategy became “divide and conquer” and that’s just what happened in every gubernatorial or U.S. Senate Republican primary since Fitzgerald’s victory.

A press release from the Institute on Religion and Democracy:

Yesterday, voters in 7 states voted to protect the most basic institution in our society from activist judges by approving state constitutional amendments that define marriage as the union between one man and one woman. They join 20 other states around this nation.

IRD president Jim Tonkowich released the following statement:

Here’s what the homosexual activist group Human Rights Campaign wants you to know about the woman from San Francisco who will soon be Speaker for the US House of Representatives: Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.

(GREEN indicates a position that supports HRC’s pro-homosexual goals.)

Military Issues

H.R. 1059 – Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2005

• HRC: SUPPORTS
• Pelosi: YES

Faith-based Initiatives

H.R. 27 – Job Training Improvement Act

• HRC: OPPOSES
• Pelosi: NO

Hate Crimes

H.R. 2662 – ‘To provide Federal assistance to States and local jurisdictions to prosecute hate crimes, and for other purposes.’

• HRC: SUPPORTS
• Pelosi: YES

Boy Scouts of America

H.R. 1337 – Support Our Scouts Act of 2005

• HRC: OPPOSES
• Pelosi: NO

Workplace Discrimination

H.R. 3128 – ‘To affirm that Federal employees are protected from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and to repudiate any assertion to the contrary.’

• HRC: SUPPORTS
• Pelosi: YES

H.R. 1445 – Workplace Religious Freedom Act

• HRC: OPPOSES
• Pelosi: NO

Domestic Partners

H.R. 3267 – ‘To provide benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees.’

• HRC: SUPPORTS
• Pelosi: YES

Family Issues

H.R. 475 – Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act

• HRC: SUPPORTS
• Pelosi: YES

Immigration

H.R. 3006 – ‘To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide a mechanism for United States citizens and lawful permanent residents to sponsor their permanent partners for residence in the United States, and for other purposes.’

• HRC: SUPPORTS
• Pelosi: YES

Education

H.R. 2295 – ‘To prohibit a State from receiving Federal education funds unless the State has certain policies and procedures regarding the purchase or acquisition of library and classroom-based reference, instructional, and other print materials for use in elementary schools, and for other purposes.’

• HRC: OPPOSES
• Pelosi: NO

From Human Rights Campaign:

WASHINGTON — This year, the Human Rights Campaign flexed its political muscle in unprecedented and strategic ways that helped alter the political dynamic in key races across the country. With victories for strong pro-equality candidates like Florida’s Ron Klein and Arizona’s Gabrielle Giffords, the 110th Congress promises to be the most fair-minded in history. Voters in Arizona also made history last night, defeating that state’s discriminatory domestic partnership ballot initiative.

Out of the 225 candidates that HRC endorsed, 208 proved triumphant, with several races still too close to call. HRC was involved in 18 Senate victories, 179 House wins and 11 successful governors’ races. HRC also helped to defeat some of the most anti-gay voices in Congress such as John Hostettler and Rick Santorum, signaling that the era of gay-bashing for political gain is coming to an end.

“Last night we saw unprecedented victories for fair-minded candidates and for equality; we also witnessed a stinging rebuke of anti-gay elected officials in this country,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “The historic rejection of the domestic partnership ban in Arizona is a symbolic turning point in the march toward marriage equality. We congratulate Arizona Together for their work in defeating the discriminatory, un-American measure.”

HRC Helps Candidates Win in ‘06

Human Rights Campaign — the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization — aggressively targeted races and leveraged millions of dollars and extensive staff resources to ensure victories for pro-equality candidates. And those efforts paid off, with wins in some of the most closely watched campaigns this year.

“American voters sent a clear message yesterday that the era of gay-bashing to win elections is over, as voters flatly rejected anti-gay and divisive candidates,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

Conservative extremists pulled a chapter out of their 2004 campaign playbook to exploit the gay community for political gain, but their efforts fell flat with an electorate angry and disillusioned by rampant corruption and the Iraq war quagmire. The failure of right-wing candidates to mobilize their base with anti-gay messages this year is a clear sign that scapegoating GLBT Americans for political points is a recipe for failure.

Although some races are still too close to call, including the Virginia Senate race, HRC’s efforts successfully helped the following candidates make historic wins:

Key Senate HRC Endorsee Victories:

* Sherrod Brown (OH)
* Maria Cantwell (WA)
* Ben Cardin (MD)
* Bob Casey (PA)
* Amy Klobuchar (MN)
* Robert Menendez (NJ)
* Debbie Stabenow (MI)

Key House HRC Endorsee Victories:

* Michael Arcuri (NY)
* Melissa Bean (IL)
* Bruce Braley (IA)
* Gabrielle Giffords (AZ)
* John Hall (NY)
* Ron Klein (FL)
* Tim Mahoney (FL)
* Harry Mitchell (FL)
* Patrick Murphy (PA)
* Ed Perlmutter (CO)
* Joe Sestak (PA)
* Chris Shays (CT)
* Tim Walz (MN)

Statements by Some of the 2006 Election Winners:

Said Senator-Elect Bob Casey (Pennsylvania):
“HRC got behind my campaign early and has been a tremendous help. The energy and commitment they put behind our campaign was extraordinary. I look forward to working with HRC’s incredible staff and membership, especially to advance hate crimes legislation in the Senate.”

Said Senator-Elect Sherrod Brown (Ohio):
“HRC’s presence throughout the state of Ohio during this election was nothing short of extraordinary. It demonstrated the best that we can achieve when we work together and stand up for what is right. I was proud of HRC’s financial and grassroots support for my campaign, it made a difference in the larger fight for social and economic justice for every American.”

Said Congresswoman-Elect Gabrielle Giffords (Arizona):
“I have stood up for equality in Arizona, and I am grateful that HRC and the GLBT community stood with our campaign during the primary and the general elections. We can accomplish so much for our families when we work together. Fairness is an essential American value, and when we champion fairness, we can win decisive victories in even the most competitive congressional districts.”

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

This one is incredible: Two adult men are advertising on the internet, including on MySpace, and hosting weekly parties for “gay” youth (age 17+) at their home (10:30 pm every Saturday night at 438 W Algonquin Rd, Algonquin, IL), where they openly welcome alcohol. One of the ads shows a boy standing, holding another boy whose legs are wrapped around him.

Even so, parents allow their children to attend – or are oblivious to their teen’s whereabouts. Have they seen the photos that Mark and Adam post online? Police are well aware both of the parties and the repeated violation of various laws by the homeowners and by party goers. But each week, the party goes on…

Now a young man is hospitalized after being stabbed eight times in the neck and chest at the party. His friend writes:

I have seen Adrian at the hospital. He has been stabbed eight times throughout his chest and neck. He arrived with a collapsed lung and severe loss of blood. He was read his last rights shortly after he arrived to the hospital. He is in a lot of pain. He has a strong will to live and is in for the fight of his life…

Even so, the regular party guests are defending the home as “a VERY safe place” and swearing to continue hanging out there…demonstrating just how deceived these young people are.

Where is the leadership in Algonquin?

TAKE ACTION (CORRECTED):

• Call Village President John C Schmitt at (847) 658-7643 or e-mail him.
• Call Director of Police and Public Safety Russell Laine at (847) 658-4531 or e-mail him.
• Let them both know that this sort of debauchery is completely unacceptable to you! Ask them what more they need to stop this illicit activity in your community.

The following is excerpted from LITH Man Stabbed 8 Times, by Dave Fitzgerald and Rob Phillips, published Nov 6, 2006, by Northwest Herald:

A 21-year-old man from Lake in the Hills remained in fair condition Monday at Sherman Hospital after being stabbed eight times in the chest early Sunday morning at an Algonquin home that advertises weekly parties on the Internet…

Algonquin police said they had previous problems at the home where the stabbing happened. A Web site www.party69.net directed people to a weekly house party on Saturday nights. In addition, the hosts have MySpace.com accounts that promote the parties.

The parties are advertised as a place for gay youth, and the house is publicized as a “club-like atmosphere” where partygoers must be 17 to get in and 21 to drink. A $5 donation at the door is requested, and identification is required to prove age, the ad says. Partygoers are asked to bring their own alcohol.

Algonquin police said they were aware of the parties and said they brought in a mix of people. Party organizers who live at the home, Mark Davidson, 36, and Adam Conard, 24, were charged July 16 with selling alcohol without a license and providing alcohol to minors. Davidson also was charged with obstruction of a peace officer, and Conard was charged with resisting a peace officer. A trial on those charges is scheduled for Nov. 17, according to court records.

Also, in 2005, Davidson was convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a child, stemming from his hosting of an underage drinking party at the same home, according to court records.

“It’s not illegal to have a party,” Algonquin Deputy Chief Ed Urban said.

Continue reading in Northwest Herald…

“The 10th Annual Miami Recognition Dinner honored Bond, who received the evening’s National Leadership Award, and local honorees TWN and philanthropist Bob Cole, recipient of the Miami Herald Humanitarian Award. In his keynote address, Bond lambasted the tactics of opponents of marriage equality for same-sex couples. The event raised more than $270,000, two-thirds of which will be donated by the Task Force to organizations serving the Miami-Dade LGBT community.”

Excerpted from Former President Makes Surprise Appearance At Gay Event, published Nov 6, 2006, by the pro-homosexuality 365Gay:

Former President Bill Clinton made a surprise appearance at a benefit on the weekend for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Clinton was in South Florida to campaign for Democratic candidates. An aide called the NGLTF about an hour before to say that Clinton would like to attend.

The former president mingled with the 650 people who attended the dinner and stayed to see old friend NAACP Chair Julian Bond receive an NGLTF leadership award. Bond has been a longtime supporter of LGBT issues…

“All of this makes me heartsick and angry at the root causes of these scourges. Angry that an entire industry has been built around demonizing, defaming and dehumanizing gay people. Angry that we now live in a nation where lying about a blow job is an impeachable offense, but lying that leads to the literal blowing up of thousands of human bodies is not. Angry that homophobia is once again polluting the political discourse in this election — at this very moment in time — in both subtle and crass ways.” – NGLTF Executive Director Matt Foreman

Continue reading at 365Gay…