Guidelines Urge a Dialogue on Gay Issues in Schools
School administrators could ward off bitter battles over issues of sexual orientation by taking an active role in bringing people of different views together for discussion before controversies erupt, according to a resource guide for educators and parents developed by a center that promotes First Amendment values.
The First Amendment Center is an affiliate of the Freedom Forum, an Arlington, Va.-based foundation that focuses on issues of free expression and religious freedom. The guide was endorsed by both the Christian Educators Association International, a Pasadena, Calif., group that represents Christian teachers and employees in public schools, and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, based in New York City. Representatives from both groups were in Washington for a press event releasing the guide.
In light of fierce disputes over such issues as gay-straight student alliances in schools and sex education that discusses homosexuality, “it is important to reaffirm that public schools belong to all Americans,” the guide says. “The role of school officials, therefore, is to be fair, honest brokers of a dialogue that involves all stakeholders and...
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