TRUTH IS A SOMEBODY, NOT A SOMETHING by Gary L. Morella

"Heterosexism is the institutionalized form of discrimination against gay, lesbian, or bisexual people. Heterosexism is the ideological system that denies, denigrates, and stigmatizes any non-heterosexual form of behavior, identity, relationship or community. Heterosexism assumes that the only valid and legitimate forms of sex, love, and affection, is with someone of the opposite sex."

ote, the above "verbal engineering", a quote from a lesbian employee of the Vice-Provost office of a major university - an office which blatantly promotes homosexuality, is typical of homosexual activists who attempt to marginalize any who dare to disagree with the concept of sexual perversion as an alternative lifestyle. It is the creed of speakers on homosexual issues to school district teachers in-services throughout the country. It unmasks the real motives of militant homosexual activists who are quick to categorize all in opposition as "homophobic", "hateful", "uncharitable", "intolerant" and/or "insensitive" in order to get public sympathy for their distorted views.

Nationally, there is a movement promoted by militant homosexual activists to incorporate homosexuality into something called "diversity" days for our schools. As a result school boards across the country need to be aware of two issues, bias, and neutrality of the state in order to insure the nonusurpation of parental rights.

From the standpoint of bias, in 1991 government sex-ed guidelines were sent to all U.S. School Boards. These guidelines included the statement, "People do not choose their sexual orientation" which was then complicated by a statement on the next page which said: "... one's sexual orientation may change during life." To date, "sexual orientation" in a gene context has not stood up to scientific scrutiny. (Reference the writings of Van den Ardweg, DUBIOUS PSYCHOLOGY, Satinover, HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE POLITICS OF TRUTH, and also Moberly, Harvey, and Nicolosi - all preeminent psychologists who have worked directly with homosexuals.) NARTH (the National Association of Research into Therapy for Homosexuals) states that any so-called final pronouncement on one's sexual tendencies under the age of 17 is highly problematic. I recommend these individuals as sources for understanding the other side of the story which is conveniently overlooked, i.e., it is possible to leave as opposed to live the homosexual lifestyle.

A civilized society, while not downgrading individual people, must "discriminate" in favor of health over disease, right over wrong, moral over immoral, discriminate use of sexuality over indiscriminate sexual expression. The consequences for not doing so are found in the CDC stats on the skyrocketing rates of STDs, in particular, on the inordinate number of cases of HIV/AIDS in the homosexual relative to the general population. The failure of these sex-ed guidelines was reported in the October '94 issue of Atlantic Monthly.

No one is denying the homosexual presence in society. What is being denied is the propagation of the homosexual lifestyle as normal.

The public school is not the place for such forums. For example, showing IT'S ELEMENTARY, a video which promotes the virtues of living the homosexual lifestyle while depicting all critics as insensitive during these "diversity days", crosses a line which accomplishes nothing but the polarization of communities. This is NOT a "diversity" issue. It IS an issue of right and wrong as defined by the Natural Law knowable through reason exclusive of Divine Revelation which cannot be compromised. This is in opposition to "values clarification" were our children are taught that there is no such thing as right or wrong. This statement is actually a direct quote from one of the children in IT'S ELEMENTARY. We're talking about behavior which can be changed not skin color or ethnicity which can't.

As a research mathematician for almost 25 years I've seen how statistics can be skewed to say just about anything. The problem usually is faulty sampling. Such is the case with Alfred Kinsey's claims involving homosexuality now known to be criminally fraudulent and upon which an entire sexual revolution and government funded sex-ed system was based.

In reference to the neutrality of the state, IT'S ELEMENTARY's illustration of homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle is a threat to civil freedoms. This is based on two Supreme Court Cases which established the freedom from government coercion when religious issues were involved. If the Supreme Court could argue that prayer or Bible reading being offered in school was coercive to those who did not share the Judeo-Christian view and, therefore, an impermissible infringement on the separation of Church and State, then a school illustrating homosexuality as an acceptable alternative lifestyle could hardly be construed as less invasive or less of a breach of that separation.

In issues of this kind where opinion is sharply divided, the first and most important consideration in searching for a solution is the preservation of the God-given right of conscience. If the courts hold that people of faith, for example, have no right to impose their own moral code upon the rest of the country by civil legislation, then by the same reasoning, they are obliged in conscience to oppose any regulation which would elevate to the status of public policy a philosophy or practice which violates the rights of privacy or liberty of conscience. The citizens's freedom cuts both ways.

In situations like this, involving serious moral issues in which people strive to form a right conscience, the role of government is clear - strict neutrality. The moment the government (public school is this instance) presumes to "give advice" in this delicate area, it opens the door to influencing the free decision of its citizens. And from influence it is only a short step to coercion.

These are serious issues regarding proposed school activities which typically are strongly opposed by a significant number of parents in school districts nationally. This should be of vital concern to school boards recognizing the necessity of parental support.

It is deplorable that people are the object of malice in speech or action. Such treatment deserves condemnation wherever it occurs. It reveals a kind of disregard for others which endangers the most fundamental principles of a healthy society. The dignity of each person must be respected in word, in action, and in law. This should be common sense for teaching professionals NOT requiring diversity days to underscore same.

The Catholic witness to the teaching Magisterium of Holy Mother Church as professed by the Holy Father is sorely needed in the public square. Sadly, many of our parochial schools are in no better shape than their secular counterparts. The dissidents have done their work well. Those who are "Catholic" in more than name only MUST respond in kind. The souls of many are at stake. Crosses must be carried, not shunned, recognizing that the Truth is a Somebody, not a something.