Parent Arrested After Fight Over Gay Content In Book

[paineinthearse]

Maybe if we don't teach children about "different" lifestyles they will go away?

http://www.nbc11.com/education/4429917/detail.html

Parent Arrested After Fight Over Gay Content In Book
Man Wanted Son Shielded From Discussions

UPDATED: 9:37 am PDT April 29, 2005


David Parker

BOSTON -- A confrontation over a children's book in the Boston suburb of Lexington ended with a parent being arrested. WCVB-TV reported that David Parker, 42, refused to leave his son's elementary school Wednesday after the boy brought home a book from the school featuring gay characters. Police arrested Parker on charges of trespassing at the Estabrook Elementary School and he spent the night in jail.

The book in question, "Who's In The Family?" introduces children to different types of families, including a family with two fathers. "This is propaganda. This is meant to form things in a child's mind at an early age," said same-sex marriage opponent Brian Camenker, of Article 8 Alliance. Parker said school officials have continued to tell him he has no right to control whether his child is taught about gay marriage. "What I am saying is, because of the same-sex marriage law, people are treating it as a mandate to teach the youngest of children. It is not a mandate to teach the youngest of children, particularly if parents say, 'Hold on, I want to be the gatekeeper of the information. It is not that I don't want my child to ever learn it, it is I want to control the timing and manner,'" Parker said.

"They make the book available for families to read with their children if they choose to. If they choose not to do that, that is perfectly fine. They don't have to do that," said Lexington Schools Superintendent William Hurley.

Gov. Mitt Romney said Parker has a point. "We have in Massachusetts a parental notification statute specifically in matters related to human sexuality. If a parent wants to be informed of what is being taught in a classroom and wants to have their child withdrawn from the classroom for that portion of the class dealing with human sexuality, that parent has the right," he said. Parker was released on $1,000 personal surety. He said he has not decided if his son will stay at the school.

[gratuitous]

1. Geez, is this child safe?

I mean, his dad's a jailbird and everything . . .

[joeybee12]

2. Mitt Romney is too much of a pig to be believed....

...why aren't people outside the governor's mansion protesting day and night?

Oh yeah, he's never there--he's in South Carolina, riling up the van-gelists for a presidential run.

[DearAbby]

3. Did I read this correctly.

Are the Books sent home for parents to read, then read to the children if they wanted to do so, Not a subject that is taught in the class room?

[Ian David]

4. See prior thread: Arrested father... Disputed school's lesson on diversity

Arrested father had point to make: Disputed school's lesson on diversity
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=158x4210

[ruggerson]

5. Let him put his kid in a fundie school

If he wants to teach his kids the fundie lifestyle, have him find a Talibornagain school and pay for his kid to go there.

Don't they have jobs, these born agains? They can't afford religious schools?

[Ian David]

6. This had nothing to do with "human sexuality"

The book didn't say, "Daddy's partner likes anal fisting and erotic asphyxiation."

All it said was that some kids have two mommies or two daddies. Or a white mommy and a black daddy, etc.

Would it be "discussing human sexuality" to talk about a kid with inter-racial parents?

[Ian David]

7. Dad arrested in protest over gay book, Gay.com, CA - 28 minutes ago

Dad arrested in protest over gay book
Gay.com, CA - 28 minutes ago
Police in the Boston suburb of Lexington arrested a father on Wednesday after he refused to leave his 6-year-old son's elementary school over a book that ...


Dad arrested in protest over gay book
Christopher Curtis, PlanetOut Network
published Friday, April 29, 2005

Police in the Boston suburb of Lexington arrested a father on Wednesday after he refused to leave his 6-year-old son's elementary school over a book that featured a gay family.

The book, "Who's In The Family?" shows children from different types of families, including a family with two fathers. It was included in Estabrook elementary school's bag of books promoting diversity.

David Parker started e-mailing school officials about the subject. The e-mails became so heated the superintendent of Lexington public schools warned him, ''If you are found on Lexington public schools' properties you will be subject to arrest by the Lexington police."

<snip>

Parker spent the night in jail and was freed after being ordered to stay off school property. He is due back in court June 1.

More:
http://www.gay.com/news/article.html?2005/04/29/2

[Predator Saint]

8. Available, yes. Required, I don't know.

I vehemently disagree with this man's actions and his prejudices, but it does make me uncomfortable that such a book is required school reading.

The intent of the book is to be applauded, and it should be available to any student who wishes to read it. However, I do not believe it is the role of public education to require the study of materials that take a definitive (positive or negative) stance on different types of family structures.

[6000eliot]

10. Since when is saying something exists making a definitive statement?

I can say that religion exists too, but that doesn't mean that I think it's regressive and intolerant, does it?

[ultraist]

11. So schools should LIE to our children?

And teach them there is ONE type of family: a hetero male and a hetero female? BS

I want my children to learn FACTS not religious fiction in school.

We have always told our children the TRUTH about different family structures, including Gay parents, since they were little. We have Gay family members so it came very naturally. I really don't understand what good it does to lie to children this way, kids WILL encounter Gay couples and parents. Then what?

[mondo joe]

12. How about acknowledging existence?

Or is that too much?

[ruggerson]

13. A light troll

with just enough nods to progressive thought and language to lighten the message.

Let's give you, oh, a 6 out of 10?

Btw, "family structures", that was good. You're been absorbing what you've been reading here. See? Lurking does expand the brain.

[me b zola]

14. Do ya want to know what makes ME uncomfortable?

...more than uncomfortable...angry & sad. The highest rate of suicide is gay teens. I am a hetero who is pissed as all get out at hearing other heteros (or are you?) who want to perpetuate the myth that only one type of family is legitimate, thus delegitimizing many loving families & ostracizing many members of our society.

I have found that most people who are scared that they or their children will 'catch' homosexuality if it is not marginalized have closet type issues of their own...example...the GOP.

[elehhhhna]

9. Look, kids in elementary school today KNOW

children with same-sex parents. It's a fact of life. Tolerance (aka as shutting the f up, sometimes) is an appropriate thing for schools to promote. Otherwise these little uber-christians think they have free reign to tell everyone on the playground who's not a member of THEIR CHURCH that they are going to hell--then insist they're being victimized by religious intolerance when told to knock it off.

Have you ever had a 1st grader come home upset becasuse some Christiofacscist brat bullshitted them with the hell fairy-tale? I have.

Mister Blinders can homeschool his kids, then. Good riddance.

[paineinthearse]

15. See parallel post in the Massachusetts forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=158&topic_id=4210&mesg_id=4210

[FreedomAngel82]

16. So much

for love, peace and tollearnace of each other. These people are sick and disgusting and need to GROW UP.