By Ed Oliver
October 2000

In the wake of Fistgate, residents of Lexington, like the people in Acushnet, are beginning to ask questions about the homosexual agenda already being implemented in their schools. Last month, the Lexington School Committee voted to endorse an upcoming pro-homosexual weekend called "Respecting Differences." The vote ignited a small amount of controversy because the flyers advertising the event already list Lexington Public Schools and Lexington High School among its sponsors.

Parents asked why the committee was voting to endorse something that was already a done deal. Even one School Committee member had that question. They were told the school department was already sponsoring the event because teachers will be able to get Professional Development Credits for attending the workshops. The committee was voting to put their blessing on the event, which they did unanimously. 

Rising from the audience to speak as a parent, Selectman Dawn McKenna told the School Committee that she voted with the Board of Selectmen to endorse the weekend activity expecting it was to teach against hatred of all kinds. "I personally did not vote for what is on this paper," she said while holding up the flyer.

The weekend extravaganza, "Respecting Differences," is solely aimed at respecting "gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people." It is planned for the weekend of October 14 and 15, with homosexual Congressman Barney Frank slated to give the keynote address. The flyer for the event says it is about "Creating Safer Schools and a More Inclusive Community for Gay and Lesbian People and their Families."

Workshops, films, panel discussions and photo exhibits will focus on accepting and embracing homosexuals in the schools and community. The First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church is listed as the lead sponsor of the event, while the gay activist group PFLAG and the Lexington Schools are listed among the co- sponsors. The Unitarian Church was also a sponsor of a similar event in Concord earlier this year where the sponsors said they were holding the event even though they had not had any problems in their schools.  

At least one PFLAG activist was spotted in the audience at the school committee meeting Tuesday evening. The lesbian activist was the same person who spoke to a health class in Marlboro's Assabet High earlier this year causing a parent to complain. In her state-sponsored role as lecturer, she described to the kids her experience as a young woman going into a gay bar for the first time in New York City. She also told impressionable students that kissing another female for the first time was like "wow!" compared to kissing boys. 

A web-site with more details about the upcoming Lexington Schools sponsored event can be found at www.respectingdifferences.org  where a link is provided to GLSEN, the radical homosexual group which sponsored the Fistgate scandal at Tufts University in March. 

Parents Are Nervous
Parents in attendance were understandably nervous about what this all means for their children. They were there to discuss the curriculum but were told that would be handled separately at a later date. Comments made to the Committee and to Massachusetts News reveal a growing awareness among residents that an agenda of normalizing homosexuality to kids from K-12 is happening in their schools.

After Massachusetts News publicized the controversial Fistgate conference, people in Lexington began questioning school administrators about what is being taught in the schools. Rumors began to spread about a mandatory K-12 homosexual curriculum about to be implemented in the schools. The rumors began after a parent told others about a conversation she had with an elementary school principal about a pro-gay children's book in the school library. She said the principal told her the book was part of a new curriculum the town would be implementing to eliminate prejudice.

Massachusetts News checked with Joanne Benton, the Director of Elementary Education who provided a list of "Books and Videos on Families with Gay and Lesbian Members" that are currently on shelves in elementary school libraries. There are seven fiction titles and five non-fiction in that category.

While Superintendent Pat Ruane denied the rumors about a new curriculum to Massachusetts News earlier in the day, she said at the meeting there are plans to "expand the notion of what diversity is all about." She announced that there would be a special School Committee meeting on October 4 for parents, probably in an auditorium, to address what is and is not happening in the curriculum.

One parent, Lorraine Fournier, stood up to ask why the school would want to sponsor the "Respecting Differences" weekend. Superintendent Ruane answered, "My responsibility is to provide a safe environment for all students."

Fournier responded, "Do you mean to tell me the schools are not safe?" Clearly annoyed by the code words bandied about by administrators such as "safety,"  "diversity," "inclusiveness," etc., Fournier asked, "Are we talking about gay students?" After a hesitant acknowledgement, Fournier said, "Then say it. Why is the school so vague about what you mean?" She added that she finds it very deceiving how schools communicate with parents.

Massachusetts News asked Joanne Benton, who directs the K-5 curriculum, if it was not just a matter of semantics and are they not really dealing with homosexuality rather than safety and prejudice? She answered, "Are you aware of the Massachusetts Board of Ed's requirement 603CMR26.00 that came out in the spring? All public schools shall through their curriculum encourage respect for human and civil rights of all individuals regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin and sexual orientation." 

Benton said kindergarten children learn that, "in addition to traditional families, we have many different kinds of families." She said there are at least ten new families whose children are in Lexington schools and their parents are lesbian or gay. Asked if they are trying to adapt the school to that phenomenon, she answered, "We are not adapting the curriculum to it, but we want to make sure everyone feels safe and comfortable."

Benton said the meeting on October 4 with parents would be to dispel rumors. She will have the social studies curriculum there with the books that she uses. The health teacher will also be there to discuss the health program.

Superintendent Ruane told Massachusetts News that there is an 11th grade health curriculum that discusses human sexuality which parents are notified about beforehand. She said speakers come in from gay groups for that class, but parents have the option to keep their kids out. "This is a community that is working very hard to make schools safe for all different kinds of kids and families," she said. Ruane said they have a gay/straight alliance supported by state funds as an optional opportunity for kids.  

Ruane pointed out that the schools are now teaching many kids with gay parents, and teachers are raising more and more questions and issues. They are finding the need to train teachers about those issues.

A Lexington parent told Massachusetts News that "gay families" with kids are moving into Lexington because it is a quaint village like Provincetown or Newburyport. She said the schools are reacting to that situation.