The New York Times

Tuesday, November 23, 1999

Group Sends Book on Gay Tolerance to Schools

By ERICA GOODE

In a move likely to fuel debate over how secondary schools should handle the issue of homosexuality, a coalition of medical, mental health, educational and religious organizations announced Monday that it would send the nation's school superintendents a booklet informing them that there is "no support among health and mental health professional organizations" for the idea that homosexuality is abnormal or mentally unhealthy.

The Just the Facts Coalition, representing the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Education Association, the American Psychological Association and seven other groups, said the 12-page booklet would be mailed today to the heads of all 14,700 public school districts in the United States. The coalition said the booklet "provides information that will help school administrators and educators to create safe and healthy environments in which all students can achieve to the best of their ability."

The publication also expresses concerns about the potential harm posed by "reparative therapy" and other techniques intended to change sexual orientation.

"I think this is a history-changing moment," said Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a New York organization devoted to ending anti-gay bias in the schools. "The entire mainstream education and mental health establishment has said that it isn't lesbian, gay and bisexual students who need to change, it is the conditions in our schools that need to change."

But conservative groups attacked the booklet, saying that it was based on politics, not science.

"They're saying they want to present factual information on homosexuality, but we believe that they're presenting propaganda," said John Paulk, a homosexuality and gender analyst for Focus on the Family, a Colorado Christian group that holds Love Won Out conferences where reparative therapy is endorsed and participants are taught how to combat what they say are pro-gay messages children receive in schools.

Janet Parshall, chief spokeswoman for the conservative Family Research Council, also condemned the coalition's mailing. "If they're going to talk about 'the facts,' here's a fact: All the major religions of the world consider homosexuality wrong," she said.

Deanna Duby of the National Education Association, a leading union of school teachers, said the coalition was formed after members heard about the Love Won Out conferences and decided a response was needed. Ms. Duby, who helped create the booklet, said the publication was approved by the education association's leadership, including its president, Bob Chase.

Most of the organizations represented by the coalition, Ms. Duby said, had already passed resolutions on their own condemning reparative therapy and endorsing the need for "safe environments" for gay students.

The booklet, "Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth," is divided into chapters, including sections on how sexual orientation develops; reparative therapy, "transformational ministries" and other religion-based efforts that try to help homosexuals change their sexual orientation; and laws protecting gay men and lesbians from discrimination.

"Because of the religious nature of 'transformational ministry,' " the booklet advises, "endorsement or promotion of such ministry by officials or employees of a public school district in a school-related context could raise constitutional problems."

The publication states that "therapy directed specifically at changing sexual orientation is contraindicated, since it can provoke guilt and anxiety while having little or no potential for achieving changes in orientation."

Five of the organizations in the coalition contributed money to print and distribute the booklet, as did Michael Dively, a philanthropist and former member of the Michigan Legislature who is gay.

Responding to the booklet, Paulk, of Focus on the Family, said that no scientific studies had been done on reparative therapy, and that organizations that have "debunked" the technique were acting on the basis of political motives, not scientific evidence.

Paulk also defended his organization's efforts to promote in schools the conservative view of homosexuality as abnormal.

"Parents don't want their children being taught about homosexuality, period," Paulk said. "We believe that homosexuality is something that should be talked about in the home. But in the worst-case scenario, if it's going to be presented in public schools, we want equal time."

But Bruce Hunter, director of public affairs for the American Association of School Administrators, which represents public school superintendents and is a member of the coalition, said his organization agreed with the message of the booklet. Still, he said, the publication is likely to be used by school administrators "based on community values."

"There are many communities in this country that are just too conservative for that, and I trust superintendents to know their communities," Hunter said. "On the other hand, when push comes to shove, occasionally you have to stand up, and we would hope they would stand up for tolerance."