Pro-Family Groups Plan Counter Protest to GSLEN's Day of Silence
Several groups opposed to a national "Day of Silence" slated for Friday and organized in some U.S. schools by Gay-Straight Alliance or other gay-themed student clubs are planning their own forms of protests.
A coalition of pro-family groups suggests that students stay away from school on Friday if their campus is "officially recognizing and/or compelling students to observe this event during instructional time by a silent protest," according to Linda Harvey, president of Mission America.
Harvey writes in her column that high schools and even some middle schools are now the target of this event.
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"The Day of Silence is supposedly led by students, but actually led by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which describes itself as 'championing LGBT issues in K-12 education since 1990.' Did you catch that? 'K through 12'? Younger and younger students are the target of this group," she highligted.
Harvey believes the goal of the Day of Silence organizers is not to help end all bullying as they claim.
"The goal is to exploit the tender sympathies of kids to promote homosexuality and gender confusion. The agenda is everything; Judeo-Christian morality is the enemy; and sadly, kids are the tools," she wrote.
In another form of protest, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) is urging students, parents, and educators to distribute ex-gay flyers to their schools having gay-themed student clubs.
"April 20 is the annual 'day of silence' when student and teacher members of homosexual clubs in schools across the country remain silent for the school day in order to bring attention to intolerance against homosexuals," the group stated recently.
"Since members of these gay affirming clubs agree to remain silent for the day, April 20 is the time to distribute ex-gay information without interference or harassment from any gay activist faculty or GSA clubs," said Greg Quinlan, president of PFOX.
"PFOX is calling on students to distribute flyers promoting acceptance of ex-gays. Former homosexuals and their supporters are ridiculed and forced to live in silence. Our nation's schools deny students with unwanted same-sex attractions any support or fact-based information that feelings can and do change."
PFOX says its one-page flyer available for download on the group's website gives students "more complete information on sexual orientation and urges tolerance for all."
"Equality exists when both gay and ex-gay organizations have equal access to students on the issue of sexual orientation," the group states. "Gay groups should not be the only ones to have access to students on the issue of sexual orientation."
The Maryland-based organization angered a few parents at a high school in Montgomery County earlier this year after handing out flyers about their beliefs in student report cards. A school board policy in the county allows nonprofit groups to send flyers home with students on four occasions a year.
The literature questioning claims that homosexuals are born gay started a debate among parents in the community.
"I don't like it," Karen Yount-Merrell, a clinical social worker who read one of the flyers that came with her son's report card, told WTTG FOX 5 in February. "Everything in this flyer makes it sound like the goal is to be (an) EX-gay, (or an EX)-lesbian. It is not embracing of a different orientation. It reiterates a societal view that there's something 'wrong' with you, if you're not in the norm. If you aren't heterosexual. And teenagers have a hard enough time dealing with who they are and feeling good about themselves."
In her column published at WND, Harvey lists ten reasons she believes "Christian students in particular and possibly even teachers and staff should refuse to honor this event by school attendance."
Among the reasons she gives and lists first: "A silent protest in support of immoral, God-dishonoring behavior is in itself profoundly deceptive. All sexual behavior outside man/woman marriage is sinful in God's eyes. Why should Christian students and teachers be in the position of accommodating this flagrant violation of their principles?"
