Students, teachers protest Kuehl bill

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Students, teachers protest Kuehl bill

By Leroy Standish, The Daily Press (Victorville, Calif.), April 18, 2006

APPLE VALLEY - A dozen protesters, predominantly students and teachers from the private Valley Christian Schools, stood outside Apple Valley Town Hall Monday opposing controversial legislation that would put a "gay-friendly" spin in public school textbooks.

Protesters said the legislation which is awaiting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature, is an assault on their moral and ethical values.

"They are taking husbands and wives out of the text books," Renee Biggs, a teacher at Valley Christian, said. "Kids will be taught bi-sexual- ity is the norm and have unisex bathrooms."

Senate Bill 1437, introduced by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Los Angeles, adds language to previous legislation passed in 1999 forbidding discrimination in schools based on sexual orientation. Assembly Bill 606 puts some muscle behind SB 1437 threatening schools with the withholding of fiscal support if schools choose to ignore the legislation.

Student Noah Mauch, 12, was upset there might be unisex sports teams and girls waiting behind him in line at the school restroom.

"If you want to learn about (homosexuality) you can on your own," he said. "That's just sick. It passes diseases and yuck - no thank you."

Kuehl's current bill relates to educational materials. Educational materials may not reflect adversely upon people based on race, gender, ethnicity or religion and if the governor signs SB 1437 language will be added to include sexual orientation.

Secondly, the bill would add that in teaching California history lesbian and gay people will be represented along with other groups already specified by law.

Nowhere does the bill talk about unisex bathrooms, co-ed sports teams or the glorification of a homosexual lifestyle. However there is no telling how the legislation will be interpreted by the court system.

"I have always appreciated intelligent opposition, but this is really a shame to use children and their families to raise issues that are not even at issue in these bills," Kuehl said. "Whoever is orchestrating this should be ashamed at raising the fears of families for no reason."

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