From: Cgastbook@aol.com 
To: 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.  If there are unexpected problems, including the
possible loss of subscriber names from our list, there will be a notice on the
FLASHLINE section of our web site (www.atheists.org/flash.line).  We ask for
your patience, and thank you for your support.

   -- The Editor

                                                       **

  RESOURCES FROM AMERICAN ATHEISTS

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Please include your name and postal mailing address.

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products, send mail to catalogue@atheists.org.  Kindly include your postal
mailing address.

   * The American Atheist Magazine is now on the web!  Check out select
articles from the  current and back issues, as well as special web-only
features.  Visit us at http://www.americanatheist.org.

   * If you are a member of American Atheists, sign up for our e-mail
discussion group, aachat.  We have over 100 participants who discuss topics
such as Atheism, religion, First Amendment issues and lots more!  Contact
Margie Wait, the moderator through mdwait@atheists.org.

                                                             **

                                               ABOUT THIS LIST...

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   You may forward, post or quote from this dispatch, provided that
appropriate credit is given to AANEWS and American Atheists.  Edited by Conrad
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