Posted on 12/11/2001 5:27:30 AM PST by LarryLied
WEST SPRINGFIELD — A national photo exhibit depicting same-sex families offered the community a chance to discuss gay, lesbian and transgender issues while it was displayed at West Springfield High School last month."Love Makes a Family," a series of black-and-white photographs portraying gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families of different races in familiar family settings, was displayed at the high school from Nov. 5 through Dec. 5.
The project, sponsored by a grant to the school's Spectrum Club, allowed students to discuss the issues in a safe environment and generated awareness that families are not all the same, said Principal Robert J. Delisle.
"It was an effort to be proactive and deal with a subject that we recognize to be sensitive," Delisle said. "We are trying to provide an environment that is safe for all students."
The exhibit, taken by photographer Gigi Kaeser and accompanied by text from Peggy Gillespie, was also part of a public forum on Nov. 19. Several parents, however, complained that the school should not be exhibiting photographs of same-sex couples — criticism which Delisle said was expected — considering the sensitive nature of the topic.
"We were not advocating any kind of inappropriateness," Delisle said. "We are sensitive to that. We have to be. You have to take small steps."
The exhibit, which was scheduled for four weeks, was moved out of a main hallway into the upper library for the last week of its run at the school, Delisle said.
But at least one person who attended the forum said the event was appropriate and helped create respect for all families.
"It allowed people to ask questions and to get answers as best they could. It was mainly to show students that there are different kinds of families and those families are among them whether they know it or not," said Ron Haislip, a resource specialist at the Massachusetts Prevention Resource Library in Springfield.
Haislip said staffers from the Department of Education's Safe Schools Program led the discussion, which included a panel consisting of heterosexuals and members of the gay and lesbian community.
"There was discussion about people's lives and how they grew up," Haislip said.
Delisle said the exhibit, which has traveled to high schools across the country, was thoughtful.
"It was well done," he said.
Yep, they've got that strategy down pat. Desensitization, incrementalism, indoctrination....
I have a love for all people. Regardless of their desires, goals, habits or behaviors. However, I will never surrender my resistance to people who wish a behavior, choice or activity be treated like an inherant human trait uncontrollable by nature.
Even in the face of uncontrovertable evidence I would be hard pressed to change but most likely I would as it would be consistant with my position. I am comfortable enough to say that with all the breakthroughs in medical research there has yet to be a single shread of credible evidence to move me from this position.
The invention of more rights in the name of sexual preference will always get a fight from me.
The invention of family as equal to that of the nuclear family will always have a fight from me. This is nothing more than further attempts to redefine what is acceptable and normal. Some people argue that gangs represent the only family they have known. Others have said that they have found a home and family in the military. And still more call some organization or group the only family they have ever known. This is figure of speech, it is not family. It is neither disrespectful or intentionally harmful to call it this.
Thousands of years and billions of families can not be wrong. I did not invent this description, nature and natures God did.
This exhibit also gives further evidence of why taxpayer monies should not support it. It is political in its goals and done with an in-your-face attitude as I could never get a christian only exhibit done the same way. Some say I could, but I doubt the ability. tehre would be those who complain of offense and that would be all she wrote.
Freeper contest time! Who gave this "grant"?
Makes me wonder just what would Principal Robert J. Delisle consider to be inapropriate? What a scumbag.
... As opposed to indoctrinating perfectly normal CHILDREN to think that sodomy is natural? Puh-leeze. You obviously don't belong here, as your opinions are Liberal at best, Communist at worst.
.. Or were you not aware that this is a CONSERVATIVE forum?
:/ ttt
As if we didn't need any more prrof of an agenda to normalize not only the decision of these people to live a perverted life style and its accompnaying perversion of the term 'family' ... read closely this quote from the article:
""We were not advocating any kind of inappropriateness," Delisle said. "We are sensitive to that. We have to be. You have to take small steps." "
In other words ... we'll get to the "inappropriateness" later, after we get through these "small" steps and get the folks used to the idea.
Folks who cherish the traditional and foundational moral values that make families and nations strong have to stand up to and counter this bravo sierra before it covers us all in its filth and stench. The only way to do that is to boycott and ostracise the inappropriate behavior and then to teach appropriate values ... first at home through example and precept and then to those around us and anyone who will listen.
God help us if we do not stand up and take on this task ... IMHO it is already very late in the game.
"...offered"????? How about shoved down people's throats??
You'll pardon the expression...
If you show an exihibit at a high school, you ARE ADVOCATING IT. Would they allow strippers to come in and strip for the students? To me it the same thing, it is sick depravity.
Discrimination I say!
Some things do not need to be expanded . . . e.g. My head, my waste line, the definition of a family.
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