From: Cgastbook@aol.comTo: aanews@listserv.atheists.org Subject: [Atheist] re:AANEWS for December 7, 1998 Date: Monday, December 07, 1998 3:50 PM from: AMERICAN ATHEISTS subject: AANEWS for December 7, 1998 A M E R I C A N A T H E I S T S ~~ A A N E W S ~~ #512~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~12/7/98 http://www.atheists.org ftp.atheists.org/pub/ http://www.americanatheist.org ---------------------------------------------------------- A Service of AMERICAN ATHEISTS "For Reason and the First Amendment" ----------------------------------------------------------- In This Issue... * "Equal Access" -- Christians only? * "God Hates Fag" minister a liability for religious right * We'll be back -- a message for our readers * Resources * About this list... THREE YEAR LATER, HOMOPHOBIA AND RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE STILL PENALIZING SALT LAKE STUDENTS It's been three years, and a "whole lot of nothing" is happening at East High School in Salt Lake City, according to students. "People don't care about school anymore," one cheerleader told Associated Press recently. "It's been a disaster," said a teacher. The "it" in question is a decision made three years ago by the Utah legislature, State Board of Education, and the Salt Lake School Board that banned student groups which supposedly encouraged any delinquent conduct, bigotry or sexual behavior. Those regulations were tightened in February, 1996 when school board officials banished student groups which were not directly linked to academic studies. The purpose was to prevent the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance. Students staged peaceful protests and a walkout, but legislators and other public officials -- many with ties to the state's powerful Mormon establishment -- stood firm. As a result, there are few student groups at East High, and very little for students in terms of extracurricular activities. Many argue that the policy, selectively targeted against a gay support group, has now penalized everyone. The irony is that many of those complaining about the Gay-Straight Alliance were vocal supporters of the Federal Equal Access Act, passed by Congress to guarantee the right of non-curriculum related, religious student groups to organize on high school campuses. In speaking out against the right of gay students and their supporters to form a club at East High, though, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) -- a frequent defender of "free speech" for Christian students on campuses -- declared that the purpose of the Equal Access Act did not include "those sorts of groups." According to new press reports, the effect of cutting all non-curriculum student groups at East High has been deeply felt. "Dozens of clubs" were disbanded, including Young Republicans and Young Democrats, Students Against Drunk Driving, and several that promoted ethnic tolerance. Associated Press quotes students and teachers who say, "School spirit has evaporate, students socialize less and class and racial rifts are deeper than before..." The Gay-Straight Alliance, though, survived because it pays a $6 an hour fee and rents a classroom at East High for its meetings. Some other clubs have followed this example of becoming "community groups," but many simply could not afford the money to pay for hall rental and insurance premiums, or did not have organizational links to established associations off campus. In the latter category are student organizations like Polynesian Pride and the Aztec Club; their demise prompted one science teacher at East High to opine, "A lot of the education in this school has been lost," and that "the kids get the message that it's OK to discriminate." An attempt to overturn the ban was launched last January. Karen Derrick, president of the school board, declared that the policy should be reconsidered; her effort, though, was rejected in October. A Selective Notion of "Freedom" Christian right groups led the charge on Capitol Hill for legislation like the Equal Access Act, insisting that religious students should have the right to form high school bible clubs and other faith-based groups. But "freedom of speech" goes only so far in Utah; Sen. Hatch and other religious and political leaders were quick to speak out when gay students wanted comparable rights to free expression for their point of view. Even as the Gay Straight Alliance controversy was heating up in Salt Lake, religious groups launched the "Utah Three Rs Project" which was designed to "work closely with (public school) teachers to help them teach about religions and cultures in ways that are constitutionally permissible and educationally sound." American Atheist State Director Chris Allen blasted this project as an attempt to smuggle religious doctrines into public school classrooms, and suggested that Utah's long- standing problems involving the separation of church and state raised serious concerns about the "Three R's Project." Supporting the initiative were representatives from Roman Catholic, Baptist, Islamic, Mormon, Jewish, Humanist and Episcopal groups. Efforts to allow religious groups -- and only religious groups, or organizations which administrators deem "safe" and sufficiently non- controversial -- have taken their toll at East High School. A suit is languishing in Federal court to challenge the exclusionary ban, but many East High students will have graduated by the time that case is resolved. In the effort to shun tolerance of gays, and enforce censorship of free speech, it is the students who ultimately pay the heavy price of selective indignation. ** "GOD HATES FAGS" PREACHER AN EMBARRASSMENT TO CHRISTIAN GROUPS ? The nation's leading religious news service is complaining that a Topeka, Kansas preacher who insists that "God Hates Fags" has become a major embarrassment even to most Christians. Religion Today news noted earlier this month that Baptist preacher Rev. Fred Phelps has become increasingly visible in the mass media for his colorful, hate-filled protests against gays, and plans on following his appearances on mass media programs like "20/20" and "Eye on America" with a stint on the "Jerry Springer Show." Phelps may do well on Springer; his outrageous comments, including "God Hates Fags," have proven to be as incendiary and provocative as anything which Springer has aired. Since 1991, Phelps and his church have been conducting what they term a "ministry of public religious pickets," which has targeted gay pride events, meetings, and even the funeral of Matthew Sherpard. A gay student attending the University of Wyoming, Shepard was found dead on October 12 in what officials have described as a possible hate-motivated crime. At the service, Phelps and his congregation held signs declaring "No Fags in Heaven." One effect of Rev. Phelps' militant campaign against homosexuals and others o he and his group target has been a legal examination of free speech. Phelps directs his campaign not just at homosexuals and their public events, but at institutions who fail to agree with his antigay scriptural interpretation. When ministers at St. David's Episcopal Church in Topeka, Kansas announced that they disagreed with Rev. Phelps, the "God Hates Fag" ministry promptly established a picket line during services, waving signs marked "Fag Church." St. David's then complained that Phelps was interfering with the services, and obtained a restraining order. A state trial judge, and later the Kansas Supreme Court and the US Supreme Court sided with the Episcopalian group in the case WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH v. ST. DAVID'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH. Phelps's tasteless antics at Matthew Shepard's funeral prompted even Jerry Falwell to speak out against the "God Hates Fags" movement. On November 29, while appearing on the Larry King Show, Falwell expressed the opinion that "god loves everyone." Phelps responded, telling the Richmond Times-Dispatch that his group was "just preaching the Bible, and not this kissy-pooh stuff Falwell is putting out." Phelps added, "You can't preach the Bible without preaching hatred." The homophobic "street ministry" has attacked also groups, too, generally identified with religious conservatism. En route to the Shepard funeral, Phelps and his picketers stopped off at Bob Jones University to protest a recent decision to allow homosexuals to enroll in the school's art museum program -- a requirement for maintaining its tax exempt status. They also brought their "God Hates Fag" message to Wake Forest University, where they protested a speech by award winning poet Maya Angelou. Religion Today, though, considers Phelps and his group (most of whom are related by an elaborate network of marriages) to be a growing liability. Even a spokesperson for the militant, antiabortion Christian Defense League declared that the "God Hates Fags" movement "puts Christians in a very negative light," and that the decision to picket the Shepard funeral was "about as reprehensible as you can get." Phelps himself is described as being extremely "media-savvy," and is thick-skinned about being described as a hatemonger. If critics "knew how little I care," he told Religion Today, "they wouldn't waste their time." While religious conservatives may be trying to distance themselves from Phelps, there is a kind of truth to his contention that "God Hates Fags." Religious right organizations and spokespersons may not publicly wish to embrace Phelps, and even find him distasteful, there seems to be agreement that homosexuality is a biblically condemned lifestyle and activity. Pat Robertson, founder of Christian Coalition, has attempted to link homosexuality with everything from Satanism to Nazi Germany. Others, such as Rev. Donald Wildmon of American Family Association, mention gays in the same breath as murders and thieves. The small but influential Christian Reconstructionist movement advocates execution for "sodomites," a position not that different perhaps from Rev. Phelps' claims that "AIDS cures fags." Indeed, Phelps may simply be the harder edge of a sentiment which is deeply rooted through much of America's Christian fundamentalist and evangelical subcultures -- efforts to separate the "sin" from the "sinner" not withstanding. ** AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR AANEWS SUBSCRIBERS ... Publishing AANEWS has been a long and rewarding venture for both me personally and American Atheists. And we intend to keep it going! Earlier today, we sent out an advisory to subscribers informing you that there may be glitches and delays as our "listserv" is transferred to a new facility. It now appears that we could experience some unfortunate delays in the near future; we are also trying to make sure that during this transfer, our subscription list remains in tact. Please bear with us during this time. You might not be hearing from us for a few days, but be assured that we intend to keep AANEWS operating. 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