GSAs and the Day of Silence
Who will you listen to?

April 18th will be the National Day of Silence, the event created to publicize the plight of lgbts in schools across the country.

The anti-gay industry is pulling out all of the stops to cause chaos, from creating a pseudo event (Day of Truth) where they encourage students to repeat Paul Cameronesque lies to advising parents to keep their children out of the schools on April 18th.

Their goal is to disrupt the National Day of Silence to such a point that schools will be fearful of holding the event.

With that in mind, I have just one question.

Who will you listen to?

The anti-gay industry claims that Day of Silence is a propaganda technique created to "indoctrinate" children into the "homosexual lifestyle." They claim that the designated day and other things, such as gay/straight clubs and alliances are leading children down a pathway of destruction:

It is no secret that some believe the best place to change society is through our public schools. Homosexual groups admit this is part of their agenda. They feel children who have been taught to believe in moral truths need to be re-educated. These special interest groups do not respect the religious beliefs of parents and their mission is to socially re-engineer society. - Daniel T. Zanoza, Republicans for A Fair Media

Day of Silence is a propaganda exercise for schools designed to engender sympathy toward GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) lifestyles. Many schools now officially back this disruptive, pro-homosexual event — so we’re calling on parents to pull their children out of school that day (Wed., April 18 this year). How did we get to the point in our society where schools would be used to promote acceptance of immoral homosexual behaviors and gender confusion (transgenderism)? - Peter LaBarbera, Americans for Truth

"Teenagers deserve an opportunity to study English, history, math, and science -- without being subjected to pro-homosexual proselytizing sanctioned by school authorities. Students shouldn't be forced to self-censor or adopt beliefs contrary to those of their parents and places of worship. Even the strongest of our junior high and high school children are not equipped to serve as frontline soldiers in this culture war." Linda Harvey, Mission America

Those who support Day of Silence and GSAs have a differing view on things. And they also have more credibility because they are (pay attention now) the students directly affected by GSAs and the Day of Silence:

When a student in Cara Cerise's ceramics class at Salt Lake City's Highland High School told her he had a solution to the gay marriage issue, she was ready to listen. "Just kill everyone who's gay," she remembers the classmate saying. Shocked, Cara started to cry. The daughter of a gay man, the teenager knew she needed to find a safe haven at school where she would not be judged. It was through the school's gay-straight alliance (GSA), now melded into Highland's social-justice club, that Cara found a home. - Students say clubs a haven from hurt

The misery Zach caused was minor compared with the misery he felt. He says he knew he was different by kindergarten, but he had no name for it, so he would stay to himself. He tried sports, but, he says, “It didn’t work out well.” He couldn’t remember the rules. In fifth grade, when boys at recess were talking about girls they had crushes on, Zach did not have someone to name.

By sixth grade, he knew what “gay” meant, but didn’t associate it with himself. That year, he says: “I had a crush on one particular eighth-grade boy, a very straight jock. I knew whatever I was feeling I shouldn’t talk about it.” He considered himself a broken version of a human being. “I did think about suicide,” he says. - Accepting Gay Identity, and Gaining Strength

What's most surprising about GSA clubs is what they're not -- namely, social clubs for openly gay or lesbian students. Members don't ask each other how they identify, and many members aren't gay. Some are straight students with gay relatives, or are simply interested in exploring the cultural and legal aspects of gay life and promoting tolerance and diversity.
"Our sexual orientation isn't discussed," said Veronica Falborn, a GSA member at Westwood Regional High School. "If you want to, it can be, but we just want to spread respect and tolerance." - Gay-friendly clubs thrive in North Jersey schools

Somebody tell me who are the slicksters out to indoctrinate and manipulate under the guise of truth?

And just who are the true heroes?

On the latter score, my money is on the children.

When I read their stories, I don't see individuals being manipulated by a nameless horde of invaders. I see lgbt children, their parents and supporters standing up for themselves and buying not into someone's ignorant definition of their lives.

And dammit, they should be listened to.

More to the point, Ms. Harvey, teenagers do deserve opportunity to learn English, history, math and science, but without having to be teased because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.

Your constant need to ignore these students will hurt you the long run.

They are the reason why your side will eventually lose this so-called culture war.