THIS ARTICLE IS OBSOLETE: there is no reliable published list of schools participating in the Day of Silence in 2009. For more information, go to Illinois Family Institute’s website at www.illinoisfamily.org.

My friend Linda Harvey of Mission America has done so much over the years to educate parents across America about the homosexual (GLBT: gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) activist agenda in schools. Below is Linda’s compilation of potential (likely?) middle and high schools participating in the GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) “Day of Silence” on Wed., April 18th.

Check the list below or check Mission America’s updated online list of schools, understanding that it is NOT a comprehensive list because the other side no longer widely publicizes which schools are taking part, as it did in years past.– Peter LaBarbera

Linda writes:

Parents: Here’s something you can do about the pro-homosexual Day of Silence

Protect your kids — keep them at home!

Boycott the DAY of SILENCE!

Parents: Keep your kids home if your school is officially holding, or benignly allowing, this pro-homosexual event.

Scheduled for April 18, some schools are observing it on other days, so check with your local school. Ask your child also–they probably know!

From the information we have based on current homosexual clubs as well as past Day of Silence participation and school homosexual activism, the following schools are those participating.

(Note: If we have listed a school in error, we apologize, and will issue a correction immediately. Please e-mail us with your correction, at editor@missionamerica.com.)

This is the list as of late afternoon, Tuesday, March 28. GO TO MISSION AMERICA’s WEBSITE (www.missionamerica.com) TO SEE THE UPDATED LIST.

Schools removed from this 2007 posting …

A second full-page ad ran today:

D H S
WHAT’S GOING ON IN
FRESHMAN ADVISORY?
PART 2.

As more students and parents come forward with their experiences
relating to the gay students’ panel presentations, the poor judgment and
abuse of authority by school officials becomes even more astonishing.

• CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT
Freshman students (14 year olds) were asked to sign a CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT promising not to share what has transpired in the classroom. Presumably, this would include parents. This is unenforceable, probably illegal, and certainly poor judgment. [A portion of the confidentiality agreement was inserted — you can read the entire document HERE.]

• HIDING MATERIALS

1. A parent, a teacher and NSSA have all requested to see the pool of instructional materials offered to Freshman Advisory teachers. The requests were DENIED and, in fact, the materials are hidden behind a password-protected portal. Can you imagine any other class where materials are hidden from parents?
2. F.O.I.A. — NSSA filed a Freedom of Information Act request for complete instructional materials which was DENIED. Illinois State School Code, 105 ILCS 5/28-19.1 says: “Any member of the public may inspect all text and instructional material used in the public schools.”

• VIDEO TAPE
When a parent of a Freshman requested to observe the gay panel presentations, she was DENIED. A video of the class was offered but now that the panels have concluded, suddenly, there is no video available. What are they hiding?

• PROFESSIONAL PANEL
DHS students requested another panel presentation, this time including medical professionals — instead of teenagers — who could speak to the complex health issues surrounding homosexuality. DENIED.

• DANGEROUS ASSUMPTIONS
Students have revealed that during the gay panel presentations, a link is made to normal teenage struggles and homosexuality. For instance, gay students shared that they struggled with a number of emotional disorders but the real problem and solution was found when they realized they were homosexual. The teachers evidently allowed this dangerous assumption so that the students in the class inevitably wondered if their normal teenage problems could mean that they are gay. Students were encouraged to explore this possibility without mention of the obvious health and emotional risks.

If these issues concern you, please contact:
District 113 School Board — (224) 765-1000

Helene Herbstman HEHCUBS@aol.com — Ken Fishbain ken_fishbain@ghr.org
Jeffrey Annenberg jeff@monteropartners.com — Harvey Cohen HCohen4940@aol.com
Joel Hurwitz hurwitz4@aol.com — Marjie Sandlow Msandlow@aol.com
Bonnie Shlensky DBLBadger@aol.com — Supt. George Fornero gfornero@dist113.org

NORTH SHORE STUDENT ADVOCACY
NSSAdvocacy@aol.com

Please read — We need your help!

“Day of Silence” is an annual event promoted by Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and is scheduled for April 18 this year. (Some schools observe “Day of Silence” on a different date, a few days or a week before or after the official date.)

Last year over 4,000 schools and 500,000 students participated, allowing junior high and high school students who identify as homosexual, bisexual, or “transgender” (or as an “ally”) to remain silent through the day (including in class) as a protest against alleged injustices toward “GLBT” students.

Americans for Truth, Mission America, and other pro-family groups are working together to compile a list of schools that plan to allow “Day of Silence” (including the date of the planned observance).

TAKE ACTION — Please call your local junior high and high school and ask:

• Do you have a Gay-Straight Alliance?
• Will any students participate in GLSEN’s “Day of Silence”?
• If so, will it take place on April 18 or on another date?

Please contact us with what you learn — we’ll need the name of the school, city and state, and the answers to the three questions above.

By Peter LaBarbera

More homosexual activist lies: On Saturday on MSNBC, I debated Jason Cianciotto of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. Cianciotto repeated the company line that groups like Americans For Truth contribute to “harassment and violence” against homosexual youth:

Watch the MSNBC segment HERE

Cianciotto alleged that:

“…Organizations like Mr. LaBarbera’s only contribute to this harassment and violence by pitting students against each other and that’s a tragedy. It’s also gravely immoral.”

We were debating the controversy over a pro-homosexual “Freshman Advisory” class at Deerfield High School in Illinois. Deerfield’s principal has now apologized for requiring students who attended the freshman class to sign a “confidentiality agreement” stipulating that they would not discuss what transpired in the class. (Congrats to my friend, parent Lora Sue Hauser for exposing the liberal shenanigans at Deerfield High.)

On MSNBC, taken aback by Jason’s reckless accusation, I said it was a “terrible thing to say.” Homosexual activists routinely conflate disagreement over their destructive lifestyle with violence and hate against homosexuals. It’s a dirty tactic, and totally irrelevant to the Deerfield story, which is about parents having the full right to know exactly what is being taught about homosexuality in their child’s classroom.

MSNBC aired a debate on Sat, Mar 10, 2007, between Matt Foreman of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (Task Force) and Peter Sprigg, Vice President for Policy at Family Research Council (FRC) — and the topic was Deerfield High School’s “Freshman Advisory” which includes presentations by students who identify as homosexual, bisexual, or “transgendered.”

Watch the MSNBC debate HERE.

Matt Foreman suggested the “gay” panel was simply part of broader program that includes blacks, Latinos, etc. (We’re not sure how he knows that since District 113 officials have refused to release the curriculum to local parents.) He claimed that “gay” students are disproportionately the victim of bullying & violence.

Peter Sprigg said that FRC would prefer that the school do away with whole program, in part because they’re presenting only one side (which is viewpoint discrimination) which may encourage kids to prematurely label themselves as homosexual or bisexual. He pointed to studies that demonstrate younger kids are often unsure/confused but later heterosexual.

Matt Foreman asserted that only a small minority of parents object and claimed that opponents are spreading “lies & myths” about the panel — “this is part of gay agenda,” homosexual students are recruiting, etc.

Peter Sprigg suggested that anyone interested in learning about the homosexual agenda might go to www.frc.org.

Matt Foreman said to Peter Sprigg: “Your propaganda creates bullying and violence against gays — Why are you so obsessed with gays?”

Peter Sprigg said, and we agree: “We believe all kids should be protected against bullying & violence.” He went on to say that most bullying occurs because of appearance & body size and asked “Are we going to have a panel of obese students telling kids it’s good to be overweight?”

From Illinois Family Institute, where Lora Sue Hauser serves as School Issues Advisor:

Click HERE to read the confidentiality agreement
that Deerfield High School freshmen were asked to sign prior to being confronted with
a panel of students who identify as homosexual, bisexual, and “transgendered.”

WARNING: The pdf includes…

• The confidentiality agreement (2 pages), plus
• “Terminology Game Cards” used in Deerfield’s Freshman Advisory,”
• Excerpts from Alex Sanchez’s book Rainbow Boys which is replete with vulgar language and sexual content (Alex Sanchez was invited to speak at DHS in 2005),
• A list of “gay” bars linked (via the GLBT National Health Center) on Alex Sanchez’s website (which he promoted to students), and
• Objectionable excerpts from The Heidi Chronicles, which was perfomed for freshmen — without parental notice or consent — at DHS in 2001.

From Concerned Women for America, broadcast Mar 14, 2007:

Forced Confidentiality for ‘Gay’ Indoctrination

Some teachers at Deerfield High School in Deerfield, Illinois are forcing 14-year-old freshmen to sign a confidentiality agreement saying they will not tell anyone, not even their parents, what they are taught in a pro-homosexual sensitivity training seminar. Martha Kleder spoke with Lora Sue Hauser, head of North Shore Student Advocacy, a group of concerned area parents, and Matt Barber, CWA’s Policy Director for Cultural Issues.

Listen | Download

From our good friends at MassResistance, published Mar 14, 2007:

Suppose your son came home from school one day with a pamphlet — given to him by the school. Suppose it told your son:

Men who call themselves gay are sexually attracted to and fall in love with other men. Their sexual feelings toward men are normal and natural for them. These feelings emerge when they are boys and the feelings continue into adulthood. . . “I don’t remember exactly when I first knew I was gay, but I do remember that the thought of sex with men always excited me.”

“I had to reject a lot of negative heterosexual and religious programming that made me feel lousy about myself as a gay person. I began to like myself by meeting other gay people and going to a gay support group.”

“But it is crucial to be honest with yourself. Just as self-denial costs you, coming out pays off. Most kids who accept their sexuality say they feel calmer, happier and more confident.”

This was given out to students at Newton North High School in December, during an all-day “Transgender Bisexual Gay Lesbian Awareness Day” event (which the school called “ToBeGLAD Day”). By order of the principal, parents were not allowed to attend. The pamphlet also lists places kids can go to meet homosexuals.

How would something like this affect a kid who might be going through a confused and vulnerable time in his life? Well . . . the school isn’t interested in what YOU think. And since the recent ruling in the David Parker lawsuit, it will only get worse!

Here’s the pamphlet: “I think I might be gay – now what do I do?“

And here’s another one that was given out that day. This slick booklet is from [National Youth Advocacy Coalition, NYAC,] a national homosexual group targeting kids.

And there’s more to show you – this was just the beginning. Check the MassResistance website tomorrow (Thursday).

Are you going to stand for this? Right now, legislators are balking at supporting the Parents Rights Bill!! Are you going to let a bunch of cowardly Massachusetts legislators just look the other way, claiming they have “more important” things to attend to, and they “aren’t ready” to co-sponsor the new Parents Rights Bill (see below)? Well, if you feel strongly about this, don’t let them off the hook.

MAKE THEM support this. For example, email the above “pamphlet” to them, then call them up and make them answer for it! See our Take Action page and find a link to your representative’s webpage and contact info (including e-mail) by scrolling to the grid (item #5).