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CA Senate Committee Passes Bill to Defund Schools That Don’t Promote Transsexuality, Bisex
this is reposted from a right-wing website, because they are the only ones who seem to have covered this vote
CA Senate Committee Passes Bill to Defund Schools That Don’t Promote Transsexuality, Bisexuality, Homosexuality
By Terry Vanderheyden
SACRAMENTO, June 22, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A California legislative committee passed a bill yesterday that would force all public schools to promote transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality on campus.
The California Senate Education Committee approved AB 606 on a 7-to-2 party-line vote, Democrats for, Republicans against. The author is Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, a Los Angeles Democrat.
AB 606 would authorize the California Superintendent of Public Instruction to arbitrarily withhold state funds (around 2/3rds of a school district’s budget) from any district that does not adequately promote transsexuality, bisexuality, or homosexuality in its school policies. AB 606 repeals the current state law prohibiting transsexual, bisexual, and homosexual curriculum from being forced upon local schools, and authorizes the state Superintendent to develop new curriculum that affirms transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality in all its forms.
Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families, a leading California-based pro-family organization, testified before the committee in opposition to the measure. “This is the first time in history the Democrats have pushed a bill that threatens to arbitrarily yank school funding,” he told the committee. “By financially punishing schools that don’t promote transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality to students, AB 606 is even worse than the other sexual indoctrination bill that the Governor said he’ll veto.”
On May 24, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office announced he would veto SB 1437, a bill that would make direct curriculum changes promoting transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality. “In contrast, AB 606 alters educational materials through the backdoor,” explained Thomasson.
AB 606 reads, “A school district shall establish and publicize an anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy that prohibits discrimination and harassment based on the characteristics set forth in Section 422.55 of the Penal Code and Section 220, including, but not limited to, actual or perceived gender identity and sexual orientation” -- AB 606 234.1(a)(1).
“The Democrat legislators who passed AB 606 in the Assembly have attempted to portray this as a general anti-discrimination law designed to protect children in schools,” Thomasson explained. “In reality, AB 606 forces every California school to be a transsexual, bisexual and homosexual school, or else suffer crippling financial consequences.”
“The Governor should announce that he’ll veto AB 606, just like he said he’s going to veto the other sexual indoctrination bill,” emphasized Thomasson. “Conservatives are appalled that he’s raising money for homosexual activists who want to destroy marriage between a man and a woman. Schwarzenegger needs to brandish his veto pen now if he wants to try to earn back their support. Parents don’t want, and children don’t need, AB 606.”
Visit Campaign for Children and Families AB 606 Analysis and Action Center:
http://www.savecalifornia.com/getactive/ab606analysis.php
By Terry Vanderheyden
SACRAMENTO, June 22, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A California legislative committee passed a bill yesterday that would force all public schools to promote transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality on campus.
The California Senate Education Committee approved AB 606 on a 7-to-2 party-line vote, Democrats for, Republicans against. The author is Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, a Los Angeles Democrat.
AB 606 would authorize the California Superintendent of Public Instruction to arbitrarily withhold state funds (around 2/3rds of a school district’s budget) from any district that does not adequately promote transsexuality, bisexuality, or homosexuality in its school policies. AB 606 repeals the current state law prohibiting transsexual, bisexual, and homosexual curriculum from being forced upon local schools, and authorizes the state Superintendent to develop new curriculum that affirms transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality in all its forms.
Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families, a leading California-based pro-family organization, testified before the committee in opposition to the measure. “This is the first time in history the Democrats have pushed a bill that threatens to arbitrarily yank school funding,” he told the committee. “By financially punishing schools that don’t promote transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality to students, AB 606 is even worse than the other sexual indoctrination bill that the Governor said he’ll veto.”
On May 24, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office announced he would veto SB 1437, a bill that would make direct curriculum changes promoting transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality. “In contrast, AB 606 alters educational materials through the backdoor,” explained Thomasson.
AB 606 reads, “A school district shall establish and publicize an anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy that prohibits discrimination and harassment based on the characteristics set forth in Section 422.55 of the Penal Code and Section 220, including, but not limited to, actual or perceived gender identity and sexual orientation” -- AB 606 234.1(a)(1).
“The Democrat legislators who passed AB 606 in the Assembly have attempted to portray this as a general anti-discrimination law designed to protect children in schools,” Thomasson explained. “In reality, AB 606 forces every California school to be a transsexual, bisexual and homosexual school, or else suffer crippling financial consequences.”
“The Governor should announce that he’ll veto AB 606, just like he said he’s going to veto the other sexual indoctrination bill,” emphasized Thomasson. “Conservatives are appalled that he’s raising money for homosexual activists who want to destroy marriage between a man and a woman. Schwarzenegger needs to brandish his veto pen now if he wants to try to earn back their support. Parents don’t want, and children don’t need, AB 606.”
Visit Campaign for Children and Families AB 606 Analysis and Action Center:
http://www.savecalifornia.com/getactive/ab606analysis.php
For more information:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/jun/06062...
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IMC Network
January 27, 2006
Contact: Geoff Kors, Executive Director
Phone: (323) 217-8875 Email: media [at] eqca.org
STRONGER PROTECTIONS FOR LGBT PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS BACKED BY ASSEMBLY
AB 606, Sponsored by Equality California, Mandates that Schools Comply with Standards Barring Discrimination and Harassment or Risk Loss of Funding
Sacramento, CA – A bill that would promote a safer and healthier environment in California schools for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people was passed Thursday by members of the Assembly and now heads to the State Senate, demonstrating a strong commitment by legislators in California to the principles of equality and fairness.
The Safe Place to Learn Act (Levine, D-Van Nuys), a bill that would require school districts and the Department of Education to comply with California’s existing laws regarding anti-discrimination in schools, earned a 45-32 vote on the floor of the Assembly. Sponsored by Equality California (EQCA), a statewide advocacy organization, Assembly Bill 606 puts public school officials in California on notice that protections of LGBT people against harassment are not surrendered when individuals step onto school property.
AB 606 provides clarification and guidance to schools districts to ensure that provisions of the California Student Safety and Violence Act (AB 537), a groundbreaking bill passed in 2000, are fully and properly implemented. The bill will clarify the minimum steps that a school district must take to ensure the safety of all students. Current standards require school districts to establish and publicize a non-discrimination policy that includes actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity, among steps that must be taken to be in compliance with the law. Failure to comply with these requirements places funding in jeopardy for school districts.
“Despite existing requirements to comply with AB 537, harassment and discrimination against LGBT people continues to poison our schools,” stated Geoffrey Kors, EQCA Executive Director. “We commend the 45 legislators who passed this bill and showed their commitment to making our schools more productive and safe. We’re counting on the senators to also stand up for safe learning environments for our kids.”
Lance Chih, a senior at Folsom High School, in the northern California city of Folsom, said that he has experienced “multiple harassments on campus” due to being openly gay, and added that the school has a history of harassment against students who are perceived to be gay. “Schools all around California need clearer standards on how they can make the environment for all students like me a safer place,” said Chih. “AB 606 does this, and will hold schools accountable for ensuring the safe learning environment for other students that I was unable to experience.”
A survey conducted by the California Safe Schools Coalition found that students who are harassed based on actual or perceived sexual orientation are more than three times as likely to report missing at least one day of school in the last 30 days due to feeling unsafe; are twice as likely to report depression and seriously consider suicide; and are more likely to have low grades, be victims of violence or use illegal substances.
If AB 606 is approved without amendments in the State Senate, it would go to Governor Schwarzenegger’s desk for his signature. If the bill is amended in the State Senate, it would return to the State Assembly.
Two additional LGBT-rights bills, AB 1160 (Lieber, D-San Jose) and AB 1207 (Yee, D-San Francisco) were passed by the Assembly on Thursday. The passage of the LGBT-rights bills was particularly meaningful, as the Assembly adjourned on Thursday in memory of the pioneering lesbian psychotherapist and writer Betty Berzon, who died this week in Los Angeles at the age of 78.
STATE ASSEMBLY VOTE:
45 AYES: Baca, Berg, Bermúdez, Calderon, Canciamilla, Chan, Chavez, Chu, Cohn, Coto, De La Torre, Evans, Frommer, Goldberg, Hancock, Jerome Horton, Jones, Karnette, Klehs, Koretz, Laird, Leno, Levine, Lieber, Lieu, Liu, Matthews, Montañez, Mullin, Nation, Nava, Núñez, Negrete McLeod, Oropeza, Parra, Pavley, Ridley-Thomas, Ruskin, Saldaña, Salinas, Torrico, Umberg, Vargas, Wolk and Yee
29 NOES: Aghazarian, Benoit, Blakeslee, Bogh, Cogdill, Daucher, DeVore, Emmerson, Garcia, Harman, Haynes, Shirley Horton, Houston, Huff, Keene, La Malfa, La Suer, Leslie, Maze, McCarthy, Mountjoy, Nakanishi, Niello, Plescia, Richman, Runner, Spitzer, Strickland, Tran, Villines, Walters and Wyland
3 NOT VOTING: Arambula, Bass, Dymally
Founded in 1998, Equality California is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure the dignity, safety, equality and civil rights of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. Equality California is one of the largest and fastest growing statewide LGBT organizations in the country. We can be contacted through our website at http://www.eqca.org.