A coalition of anti-gay groups is once again urging parents to keep their children out of school on the annual anti-bullying “Day of Silence.” The Illinois Family Institute published the call to action on its website today, signed by activists including Matt Barber, Concerned Women for America’s Penny Nance, Americans For Truth About Homosexuality’s Peter LaBarbera, Scott Lively, Linda Harvey, Liberty Counsel’s Mat Staver, and MassResistance’s Brian Camenker.
Calling the GLSEN-sponsored event “the queen of all the numerous homosexuality-affirming activities that take place in public schools,” the activists allege that it is meant to “indoctrinate 16-year-olds.”
“We must demonstrate the boldness and perseverance of the Left if we hope to stop the relentless appropriation of public education for the promotion of homosexuality,” they exhort.
The Day of Silence has long been a target of anti-gay group’ efforts to crack down on anti-bullying efforts in schools.
The Day of Silence is the queen of all the numerous homosexuality-affirming activities that take place in public schools. It started in one university and then like a cancer metastasized to thousands of high schools, and then into middle schools. Before long it will take place in elementary schools. Leftists know that it’s easier to indoctrinate 16-year-olds than 36-year-olds and easier still to indoctrinate 6-year-olds.
GLSEN promotes the Day of Silence as an “anti-bullying” effort. If it were solely about eradicating bullying, everyone—liberals and conservatives alike—would support it. But it’s not.
The Day of Silence exploits government schools, captive audiences, and anti-bullying sentiment to advance the Left’s social, moral, and political beliefs and goals. GLSEN seeks to advance the belief that all public expressions of moral disapproval of homosexual activity are bullying.
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A coalition of pro-family organizations is once again urging parents to keep their children home from school on the Day of Silence if their school administrations will be allowing students to politicize instructional time by refusing to speak. This is the only organized national effort to oppose any pro-homosexual activity or event in public schools.
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The absence of conservative influence within the culture on issues related to homosexuality is to some extent the fault of conservatives. Ignorance, fear, and an astounding lack of perseverance on the parts of conservatives have turned our cultural institutions—including public education—into the playground of “progressives.” Our passivity has enabled homosexual activists and their ideological allies to become social, political, and pedagogical bullies. Evidence of that is everywhere, including in schools on the GLSEN’s annual April school event, the Day of Silence.
We must demonstrate the boldness and perseverance of the Left if we hope to stop the relentless appropriation of public education for the promotion of homosexuality.
Matt Barber , Founder and Editor-in-Chief, BarbWire
Dr. Michael Brown , Director, Coalition of Conscience
Brian Camenker , President, MassResistance
Linda Harvey , Founder and President, Mission America
Laurie Higgins , Cultural Analyst, Illinois Family Institute
Peter LaBarbera , President, Americans for Truth About Homosexuality
Diane Gramley , President, American Family Association of Pennsylvania
Matt Staver , President, Liberty Counsel
Debra Smith , Founder, Informing Christians
Tom Rasmussen , Executive Director, Montana Family Foundation
Pastor Scott Lively , President, Abiding Truth Ministries
Penny Nance , President, CWA
Debbie Leininger , State Director, CWA of Illinois
Beverly Uhlmer Roberts , State Director, CWA of Texas South
Linda Wall , VA Mass Resistance
Nolan Clayton , Faith and Freedom Family Ministries
Pastor Christopher Clegg , Operation Save America
