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Children Can be Compelled to Receive Homosexual Indoctrination against Parents’ Wishes: Spanish Supreme Court

By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

MADRID, January 29, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - After three days of debate, the Spanish Supreme Court has declared that parents do not have the right to opt out of a national civics program that includes indoctrination in homosexualist ideology and other offensive elements.

The program, "Education for Citizenship," teaches children to make a "critical evaluation of the social and sexual division of labor and racist, xenophobic, sexist, and homophobic social prejudices" and instructs teachers to "revise the student’s attitude towards homosexuality." It was formulated by Spain's Socialist Worker's Party, which has held power since 2004.

Following the implementation of the program, families sued to secure status as conscientious objectors in the State of Asturias, where the local Supreme Court ruled that they could not exempt their children from the course. They then appealed the case to the Spanish Supreme Court, which ruled against the families yesterday 23-7, in a plenary session.

Organizations representing dissenting families were defiant, arguing that the decision was unconstitutional, and had no authority over the autonomous provinces of Spain.  They also announced plans to appeal the ruling to the nation's Constitutional Court, and beyond.

Parents who refuse to allow their children to attend, "are not committing any crime or illegitimate act with their children" said Benigno Blanco, President of the Spanish Family Forum, who also stated that "nothing is changing except for the four cases analyzed by the Supreme Court; all of the parents who have administrative or judicial coverage are perfectly able to impede their children from entering the classes."

Responding to the call of Spain's Minister of Education for all provinces to comply with the decision, Blanco stated that "the Minister can't give orders to the Autonomous Communities" and added that she "can't change the Constitution nor human rights. That is higher than the hollow words of the Minister."

Spain's socialist political establishment, however, was jubilant.

"I celebrate that with this the debate is finished," said Spain's Justice Minister Fernandez Bernejo, who added that "this situation has been created by the bad decisions of some autonomous communities who haven't fulfilled their obligation to educate children well."

Contact Information:

Embassy of Spain in the USA
Ambassador D. Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza.
2375 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037
Telephone: (202) 452-0100; (202) 728-2340
Fax: (202) 833-5670
E-mail:

Embassy of Spain in Canada
74 Stanley Avenue , Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1M 1P4
Telephone (613) 747-2252, 7293, 1143/241-0542(24h)
Fax (613) 744-1224

For a list of Spanish embassies around the world see
http://www.spanish-living.com/info_embassies.htm

Related Links:

Manifesto Against "Education for Citizenship" (Spanish)
Manifiesto contra la Asignatura "Educación para la Ciudadanía"
http://servicios.ceu.es/manifiesto/manifiesto.aspx

Previous LifeSiteNews Coverage:

Spanish Supreme Court Deadlocked Over Allowing Families to Opt Out of Homosexual Indoctrination Program
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jan/09012709.html

Legal Status of Catholic Church in Spain Threatened over Opposition to Mandatory Pro-Gay Citizenship Course
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/aug/07081003.html

Gay-Friendly "Diversity Training" to be Mandatory in Spanish Schools
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jul/07072508.html

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