Unlikely alliance
takes on school conflict
By BEN FELLER, AP
EDUCATION WRITER
Seattle
Post-Intelligencer from the Web, March 9, 2006
WASHINGTON -- As public
schools cope with conflicts over homosexuality, they can now get some tips from
an unlikely pair: conservative Christians and gay advocates.
Leaders of those groups have agreed on guidelines for how educators, parents and
teachers should deal with any aspect of school life involving sexual
orientation.
Unveiled on Thursday, the guidance is meant to be a First Amendment framework
for finding common ground -- essentially, a way to get people talking instead of
screaming at each other.
It comes as controversies over homosexuality and Christianity have roiled
schools nationwide, whether the matter is a textbook, a course assignment or a
student club.
Schools are encouraged to form a task force of people with divergent views,
agree on ground rules for civil debate, understand the First Amendment and state
law, keep parents informed, and ensure kids don't go to school in fear.
Still, leaders hailed the deal as a breakthrough, saying the lack of such basic
civility is often what leaves community members feeling angry, shut out and
ready to fight.
The accord comes from the very people who are typically the ones fighting --
conservative Christians, who decry homosexuality as a sinful choice, and gay and
lesbian leaders, who say many students are bullied at school just for being
themselves.
"This is not about compromising convictions," said Charles Haynes, senior
scholar at the First Amendment Center, which helped broker the deal. "This
is about finding ways to work and live together as American citizens."
Groups at polar ends of the same-sex debate -- the Christian Educators
Association International and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network --
helped write the guidelines. They will promote them to the hundreds of
thousands of people they represent.
The superintendents who run the nation's schools have also endorsed the
guidance, as has a prominent group of teachers and curriculum specialists.
Finn Laursen, executive director of the Christian association, said his members
are not straying from their beliefs in Biblical principles and "one man, one
woman" relationships. Rather, he said, the point is to make sure those
views are included in school decisions.
"It's proactive. It doesn't approach the natural conflict that's going to
be there after the bomb explodes," Laursen said.
Fair and reasoned debate rarely seems to happen when homosexuality becomes the
issue of debate, said Kevin Jennings, executive of the advocacy network for gay
students. The guidance could change that, he said, becomes it comes from
those who lead the debate and run the schools.
On The Net:
Christian Educators Association International:
http://www.ceai.org
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education
Network: http://www.glsen.org
First Amendment Center:
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org
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