F R I D A Y , N O V E M B E R 0 5 , 2 0 0 4Fight Over Textbooks -- Gotta Denounce Gaysby Michael in New York on 11/05/2004 11:37:00 AMHere we go -- when you pass anti-gay laws, it fires up anti-gayviolence and provides lots of ammo in the culture wars.</p><p> In Texas,they're fighting over the wording of a middle school textbook onhealth. (As you know, Texas and California are such big markets, theybasically determine the types of textbooks sold all over the country.)What are they fighting about? The definition of marriage andreferences to gays.</p><p> Since it's in the Austin-Statesman newspaper, I'llquote a lot for those who don't want to register online."A State Board of Education member stalled a vote to approve middleschool health textbooks Thursday by saying the books shouldcondemn homosexuality and make clear that marriage exists onlybetween men and women," reports the Austin-Statesman."Board member Terri Leo, R-Spring, called for about 30 changes toteachers' and students' editions of proposed health books in gradessix through eight."The board skipped a preliminary vote on the books after arepresentative for the books' publisher, Holt Rinehart and Winston,said the company would consider Leo's changes and report backbefore today's final vote...."Leo said that three of the 10 middle school books up for approvalwould not conform to a state law banning the recognition ofsame-sex unions as marriages.</p><p> She said they endorse same-sexmarriage by referring to the heads of families as couples oradults instead of husbands and wives or fathers and mothers."One passage in a teachers' edition says that "surveys indicate that3 to 10 percent of the population is gay.</p><p> No one knows for sure whysome people are straight, some are bisexual and others are gay.""Leo wanted to replace those sentences with: "Opinions vary onwhy homosexuals, lesbians and bisexuals as a group are moreprone to self-destructive behaviors like depression, illegaldrug use and suicide.""Gail Lowe, R-Lampasas, asked that the books not stress theeffectiveness of condoms in fighting sexually transmitteddiseases."Wow.</p><p> Talk about fighting for every inch of ground.</p><p> They don't wanteven the teacher's edition -- a book STUDENTS NEVER SEE -- tomention gays exist without condemning them.</p><p> They don't want ahealth textbook to reflect the scientific facts about condoms.</p><p> Yep, it'shouse-to-house fighting if the rebels (apparently us) want to survive.</p><p> Add New Comment HuffPost PoliticsJeffrey Smith: Governor Sebelius Must Veto KansasBill That Endangers Milk Safety - Governor Sebeliuswants to be our new Secretary of Health andHuman Services.</p><p> But before she is sworn in, shehas an important job to...14 minutes agoEschatonOvernight - Rock on.49 minutes agoDaily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Tonight's RescueRangers are Louisiana 1976, jlms qkw, shayera,dopper0189, ybruti, and srkp23 with vcmvo2editing.* ~ World order will be secured only ...53 minutes agoCrooks and LiarsC&L's Late Night Music Club: The 50 State Strategywith The Pine Box Boys (CA) - Title: Mr.</p><p> SkeletonArtist: The Pine Box Boys San Francisco isn'tknown for Bluegrass, but maybe if there weremore bands like The Pine Box Boys, it would ...58 minutes agoFiredoglakeLate Nite: Michele Bachmann Stars in “Birth of anAberration” - Minnesota's wackiest export treadsthe boards of the Wingnut dinner theater.2 hours agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V Next 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Fight ...http://www.americablog.com/2004/11/fight-over-textbooks-gott... 1 of 64/7/09 1:37 AM
