By Gudrun Schultz
SACRAMENTO, California, May 25, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The California State Senate voted yesterday in favour of legislation that would require schools to portray homosexuality, bisexuality and transsexuality as positive choices to children.
SB 777 would affect all grades from kindergarten to grade 12, requiring that textbooks, instructional materials and school-sponsored activities refrain from any “discrimination bias” on homosexual issues.
The bill states: “No teacher shall give instruction nor shall a school district sponsor any activity that promotes a discriminatory bias against any person because of a characteristic listed in Section 220. [Section 220 of the Education Code includes “sexual orientation”.] No textbook or other instructional materials shall be adopted by the state board or by any governing board for use in the public schools that reflects or promotes a discriminatory bias against any person because of a characteristic listed in Section 220.”
The measure has been called “sexual indoctrination” by parents and pro-family groups who have expressed outrage that the state government would force blanket pro-homosexual instruction on children without parental permission.
“Parents are angry at the Democrats for passing this school sexual indoctrination bill and frustrated that Republicans did little to fight it,” said Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families, a leading California-based pro-family organization.
“The notion of forcing children to support controversial sexual lifestyles is shocking and appalling to millions of fathers and mothers,” Thomasson said. “Parents don’t want their children taught to become homosexual or bisexual or to wonder whether they need a sex-change operation. SB 777 will shatter the academic purpose of education by turning every government school into a sexual indoctrination center.”
SB 777, authored by lesbian Senator Sheila Kuehl, is similar to legislation vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last session after it passed the legislature. Additional changes to the Education Code put forward by the bill include a definition of gender that is based on “appearance and behavior” instead of a person’s physical characteristics.
“‘Gender’ means sex, and includes a person’s gender identity and gender related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth.”
The bill also deletes the definition of ‘sex’ from the Code, which currently reads: “‘Sex’ means the biological condition or quality of being a male or female human being.
“SB 777 is designed to transform our public schools into institutions that disregard all notions of the traditional family unit,” said Karen England, executive director of Capitol Resource Institute, “This reverse discrimination is an outright attack on the religious and moral beliefs of California citizens.”
According to the CRI, the bill’s policies have already been implemented in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
“In that district, boys who perceive themselves as girls may enter the girls’ locker room and restroom,” said Meredith Turney, legislative liaison for Capitol Resource Institute. “Teachers and school officials are required to hide the gender identity of a transgender student if the parents are unaware of what’s taking place at school. This astonishing policy will be expanded to every school in the state if SB 777 becomes law.”
While voting on the bill fell along party lines with Republicans opposed, Campaign for Children and Families criticized Republican senators for failing to speak out against the legislation during debate.
SB 777 is currently in the Assembly and will reach the Assembly floor sometime in August.
Campaign for Children and Families is urging California residents to contact Gov. Schwarzenegger and the California State Legislature to ask that the sexual indoctrination bill be rejected.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
Email: https://www.govmail.ca.gov
Follow the link to find contact information for California State Assemblymembers and Senators:
https://www.savecalifornia.com/getactive/elected_california.php
To view the text of SB 777:
https://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_0751-0800/sb_777_bill_20070510_amended_sen_v97.html
See related LifeSiteNews coverage:
CA Senate Committee Passes Bill to Defund Schools That Don’t Promote Transsexuality, Bisexuality, Homosexuality
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jun/06062207.html
California Gov Schwarzenegger Will Veto Bill Requiring Mandatory Gay Education in Schools
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/may/06052602.html