Conservative Parents Demand School Teach About Ex-Gay Therapy (VIDEO)

A group of conservative Christian parents are demanding Minnesota's Anoka-Hennepin School District teach "ex-homosexual" therapy and "gay-related-immune deficiency" (or "GRID"), the Twin Cities Daily Planet reports.

The demands come as the school district is in the middle of changing their "sexual orientation curriculum policy," which students claim produces a "hostile school environment" by banning the discussion of LGBT issues.

Zack Ford of Think Progress writes that the parent's mention of GRID makes the proposal "particularly offensive," since the the term hasn't been used by the medical community to describe HIV/AIDS for over 25 years, making it outdated and inaccurate.

But the conservative parents, members of the Parents Action League, want the district to keep the policy in place and double down on anti-gay policies.

A resolution submitted to the district by the Parents Action League includes demands such as providing "pro-family, ex-homosexual, ex-transgender information and websites to all counselors, school psychologists," according to the Daily Planet.

The full resolution, as read before the school board by parents Brian Lindquist and Mike Skaalerud is available on the Daily Planet website.

The school district will vote on a newly revised policy on Feb. 13, the Star Tribune reports.

Close to 20 students thanked the board for its decision to vote on a new policy, after the proposals by the Parents Action League upset them and others.

The school district's previous policy garnered criticism after six students in the district committed suicide in less than two years, some of whom were gay, KARE 11 TV reports.

Tammy Aaberg, mother of one of the students who committed suicide, told the station the new policy is better than the current one because of a clause that would require all school staff to "affirm the dignity and self-worth of all students" despite the mandate to avoid "controversial issues" like homosexuality.

WATCH:

Comments

[Peacockjp]

09:09 PM on 03/01/2012

At the beginning of the early New York City AIDs horror I came home one night - found my downstairs neighbor unable to get to his 2nd floor apt. I got him upstairs, in bed and became his primary care taker. put him in the hospital 23 times before he died. Some doctors wouldn't help him. Some nurses were afraid. An administrator came to me asking me didn't I want to wear a cap, gown, mask? What for? was my answer. What he had - had no name. Over the next 4 years, I lost over 250 friends and fellow theater professionals. Thank the Gods for plays like "The Normal Heart". I so wish I could travel to nyc to see the revival of this play. This Group of people disgust me. The Goddess will set their souls on fire.

[Peacockjp]

08:31 PM on 03/01/2012

This school board - should be dismissed. Very sick - and they will have to bear on their souls the deaths of some of these kids. I feel anger and disgust for these board members.

[Anne Goldbauer]

01:57 PM on 02/15/2012

Queer Questions Clear Answers, The Contemporary Debates on Sexual Orientation by Dr. Thomas Serwatka of the University of North Florida where the focus is to provide valuable information and resources for everyone regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, race, or creed. is an excellent book for anyone to read. I would highly recommend schools include gender studies as part of their curriculum. Since psychology and sociology are courses of study in high schools and must meet National standards, it would only stand to reason to include gender studies as part of the social movements which have included civil rights, racism, feminism, etc. Until we incorporate subjects within our curriculum we haven't any opportunity to grow tolerance nor can we demystify homosexuality.

[Exo Raluna]

01:13 PM on 01/29/2012

It is pathetic that these people are wasting tax-paid school monies on these discussions.
Maybe they are plant in the audience so they can be paid overtime.

Anybody that is homophobic in this 21st century needs to have a brain transplant.

And as implied in another comment: I hope these homophobes are not procreating! And if they are here is to hoping their offspring are LBGTQ&CD!

[LibrarianSarah]

03:14 PM on 01/29/2012

What does CD stand for?

[ny1989]

12:33 PM on 02/14/2012

cross dressers

[Kittyburger]

03:26 PM on 01/28/2012

"Ex-transgender" are the same quarter-dozen or so angry old people who were suckered into conservative churches and brainwashed into self-loathing. And the number has actually gotten smaller since the religious right realized that Charles Kane not only is not one of them (he's a wealthy, atheist London socialite), but is completely loathsome.

[WheelsOnFire]

12:39 PM on 01/28/2012

I wonder how many of those parents rode the short bus when they went to school.

[bannorhill]

02:54 PM on 01/28/2012

So you must miss your old classmates?

[LibrarianSarah]

03:12 PM on 01/29/2012

Ableism isn't any better then homophobia

[WheelsOnFire]

11:27 PM on 01/29/2012

But believing in an invisible sky spook and a book that calls for stoning to death disobedient children is superior?

[Rex Devious]

06:33 AM on 01/28/2012

Forget about religion for a second.

Wouldn't it be simpler to just NOT have schools teach things that factually incorrect? Who *cares* that the source of that ignorance is religion, it doesn't make it less wrong.

Ignorance is ignorance, and misinformation is misinformation.
Schools were created to *fix* that problem, not perpetuate to it.

[phoenix182]

02:51 AM on 01/28/2012

We really need to implement intelligence testing to have children. Far too many parents out there with no right to breath themselves, never mind breed. Might as well just all pick up weapons and have it out once and for all...winner takes all.

[Crash2Parties]

10:53 PM on 01/27/2012

Do they plan on using Masters and Johnson's 'Homosexuality in Perspective' from 1979 for their textbook? The ex-whatever, reparative therapy stuff...has been so discredited as to be laughable if it didn't have so much potential to do lifelong harm. It's downright immoral.

Regarding GRID (really? Why not bring back "gay compromise syndrome" or "community-acquired immune dysfunction" while they're at it?)

Do they really want to open that worm-can?
'Cause, then they'd also have to teach about:

"condom-prohibition-immune deficiency"

"abstinance-only-education-immune deficiency"

"adultery-related-immune deficiency"

"down-low-related-immune deficiency"

[Infovoyeur]

10:48 PM on 01/27/2012

I say, yes, let it be taught, the issue of "reparative therapy for homosexuals." But taught right: both sides given, including the fact that a CEC (current expert consensus) of mainstream social scientists evaluate it as ineffective (one can change behavior and self-image but not arousal-source) and potentially harmful. But "both sides balanced weighing," while good education, seems rare. Similarly, teach both Darwinian evolution, and creationism--but all sides to both. So that--horrors--students could learn to competently evaluate complexities. The opposite of indoctrination...

[mdm333]

11:20 PM on 01/27/2012

In and of itself, your suggestion is not without merit. However the complexities of the topics are probably a little advanced for high school, much less the younger students. But good education at that level can teach students how to learn. They can be taught how to research topics and how to find information that provides more than one way to view things. Even, perish the thought, how to use a library. I love the internet as a tool, but you'll only sometimes get that for which you ask. And likely the responses will be prioritized according to which resource paid the most money.

[QuercusQate]

10:47 PM on 01/27/2012

Breaking News:

Dear Christians,

God has recently appointed me to tell you how to conduct your love lives. I hereby forbid you from kissing your spouses on any days but Monday and Wednesday. You will be punished by god (and possibly by me) if you do not obey.

All My Love,
Qate

[WheelsOnFire]

12:45 PM on 01/28/2012

LOL...well done.

You could add that their christian god decreed, too, that good christian couples may engage in sexual activity only once per week, strictly in the missionary position, no foreplay, it cannot continue for more than a few minutes, is for procreation only, and they must absolutely not enjoy it in any way whatsoever. It's for procreation, so it's strictly a business engagement.

I'll bet even Santorum couldn't meet that standard.

[bannorhill]

02:52 PM on 01/28/2012

There you go again making up what the Bible says.

Read the Song of Soloman to find what the Bible really says about love in a marriage instead making up as you go..

[onewhothinks]

06:05 PM on 01/27/2012

Schools are only supposed to teach facts.

[mdm333]

11:21 PM on 01/27/2012

....and 'facts' change with information and knowledge.

[WheelsOnFire]

12:46 PM on 01/28/2012

And the fact that "ex-gay" or "reparative" therapy is an utter failure has never changed.

[KAYLEE BURRIS]

07:02 PM on 01/29/2012

and who's got the most money.

[schaf1]

04:25 PM on 01/27/2012

Scary that these people are allowed to procreate.

[Alex Croley]

04:15 PM on 01/27/2012

Another reason to keep religious lunacy out of our schools. Brought to you by the same people who support Creationism.

[grifrn]

03:12 PM on 01/27/2012

They should be required to teach Ex-Bigot.