Minnesota ex-gay activist Janet Boynes and the antigay Parents Action League suffered a setback today, in their opposition to school antibullying policies that expressly protect sexual minorities.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, bullied students, the federal government, and Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin school district — the state’s largest — have tentatively settled lawsuits accusing the district of violating state and federal laws as well as students’ constitutional and human rights.
The SPLC, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and two law firms sued the district last year on behalf of five students, alleging that the district protected antigay harassment through a so-called “neutrality” policy, which forbade faculty from speaking out in defense of LGBT students and repudiating antigay bigotry.
Today’s tentative settlement would require the school district to take numerous steps to eliminate and prevent antigay harassment.
This is exactly what ex-gay activist Janet Boynes didn’t want.
In August 2011, Boynes spoke for the district’s antigay supporters. In a letter to a local newspaper, reprinted by the Minnesota Independent, Boynes contended that “If we really care about our young people, we will do everything to steer them away from homosexuality and transgenderism, and the unhealthy sexual acts that are a part of these lifestyles.”
In December, according to the Twin Cities Daily Planet, Boynes told the school board that eliminating the gag policy on antigay bullying would lead to discussions in classrooms about LGBT issues and permit pro-equality activists to “force an acceptance of this behavior on kids and this school district.”
In January, according to CityPages, Boynes went still further — supporting the Parents Action League as it demanded that the schools distribute antigay and ex-gay literature; promote conversion therapy on the district’s web site; require nurses and guidance counselors to “ex-gay” training; and equate same-sex orientation with disorder and disease.
We await Boynes’ formal response to the settlement. Meantime, tonight Boynes tweeted to Fox News contributor Frank Shelton Jr. “Why won’t Fox news put us on there show?” In response to another fan, Boynes tweeted, “She [Michele Bachmann] will always be my friend!!”
** Additional deep background about Janet Boynes.
Tags: Anoka-Hennepin school district, bullying, Janet Boynes Ministries, Minnesota20 Comments »
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Perhaps she could go back to school for spelling if she weren’t so obsessed with us ‘evil gays.’
Comment by Lacey — March 5, 2012 @ 11:41 pm
Wow.. why won’r Fox news put her on? I wonder?
Comment by Badge Society — March 6, 2012 @ 3:39 am
What is she whining about? FOX news won’t put me on either. She certainly has an overblown sense of her own importance.
Comment by Bill S — March 6, 2012 @ 5:30 am
Please help us in the UK and sign:
http://www.c4em.org.uk/
Comment by Peter Hargmier — March 6, 2012 @ 7:11 am
Would have loved to have signed, Peter but I’m not resident in the UK.
Comment by Merlyn — March 6, 2012 @ 8:47 am
Ms. Boynes and the entire “ex-gay” movement is nothing short of the sham that is religion.
“Repress your sexuality and we will accept you.”
As far as I’m concerned these “ex-gays” have absolutely no credibility. They are either 1)not ex-gay, but bi-sexual or 2) cultists whose only way to fit into society is to lie about who they really are to their religious oppressors.
When they have been thoroughly analyzed by the professionals at the APA and diagnosed, I expect that the scientific evidence will show them to have borderline personality disorder, authoritarian mentalities, and no self-esteem.
Comment by Mykelb — March 6, 2012 @ 9:02 am
Peter, I tried to sign too, but it’s restricted to UK residents only.
Comment by Gary (NJ) — March 6, 2012 @ 9:36 am
Dammit.
Comment by Peter Hargmier — March 6, 2012 @ 9:53 am
Peter, I’ve sign.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Comment by Jessica — March 6, 2012 @ 2:32 pm
Boynes siplot a therapy that is very damaging and doesn’t work…when will the wkngnuts learn?? I guess when hell freezes over…oh I forgot that will never happen w/ no hell..
Comment by wyocowboy — March 6, 2012 @ 3:44 pm
If Fox won’t put her on she must be a whack job.
Still when Christie Watts gets tired of being Pat
Robertson’s girl Friday, we’ve got Boynes in the
bullpen.
Comment by Bruce Kogan — March 6, 2012 @ 5:12 pm
Cheers, Jessica. Tell all your friends, 4000 signatures in less than 24hrs is quite heartening.
Boynes: “Why won’t Fox news put us on there[sic] show?”
Fox: Because you are an obviously bonkers (and stupid) nutbar who has merely conflated homosexuality with drugs and prostitution because last time you, as a bisexual, happened to be in a same-sex relationship, you also happened to be a filthy skanky crack-w***e. Simple.
Comment by Peter Hargmier — March 7, 2012 @ 5:14 am
If you want to read something hilarious, check out the clueless letter to the editor in the current issue of Rolling Stone from Anoka-Hennepin superintendent Dennis Carlson. He whines about all the “hate mail” he and others in the district have received because of Rolling Stone’s fantastic article exposing their bigoted policy. As if their hurt feelings are somehow more important than the suicides or the ongoing campaign of intimidation of LGBT students.
Comment by Tim — March 7, 2012 @ 10:04 am
@ wyocowboy, I don’t believe in hell either, except for the ones we create for ourselves and each other, but just as a factoid, in Dante’s Inferno, the depths of hell *are* frozen over. In Dante’s image, it’s bitter cold and Satan is encased in rock hard ice. Brrrrr
Comment by Gary (NJ) — March 7, 2012 @ 10:07 am
As mark twain used to say, you go to heaven for climate, he’ll for society.
Comment by Ben in Oakland — March 7, 2012 @ 10:42 am
@ Gary (NJ)
I love Gustave Dore’s illustrations of The Divine Comedy:
(I beleive this pic illustrates the canto to which you refer)
http://jeffersonsnewspaper.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Gustave_Dore_Inferno34.jpg
He also illustrated Milton’s Paradise Lost and Tennyson’s King Arthur. Beautiful images, if you are a Dante Fan, I urge you to check them out.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dantes-Divine-Comedy-Purgatory-Paradise/dp/0572032617/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331134973&sr=1-8
Comment by Peter Hargmier — March 7, 2012 @ 10:44 am
Comment by Tim — March 7, 2012 @ 10:04 am,
Hey Tim, I have looked at the Rolling Stone website and I can’t find Letters to the Editor. If you could kindly provide a link I will appreciate it.
Comment by StraightGrandmother — March 8, 2012 @ 9:13 am
Wayne, LOVED seeing the words, “Sexual Minority” in your article. It is my preferred descriptor because readers automatically associate the word “Minority” with Civil Rights and that is what we are fighting for. Equal Civil Rights in the workplace, in Public accommodations, in Marriage and in the Public Square. Sexual Minority right away focuses the listener or the reader to this is a Civil Rights Issue.
Maybe you have used this before but I just never noticed. But I noticed today and, Like, Like, Like.
Comment by StraightGrandmother — March 8, 2012 @ 9:20 am
StraightGrandmother,
I don’t think Rolling Stone publishes letters online. I have the print edition. If I wasn’t confined to typing with my left hand (my right arm is broken) I’d type the letter out for you.
Comment by Tim — March 9, 2012 @ 1:06 pm
Tim, you are so kind. I guess I’ll take your word for it that it was a hilarious letter. I am such the student, if people provide a link I will, 9 times out of 10, go check it out. Hope you have a speedy recovery :)
Comment by StraightGrandmother — March 11, 2012 @ 5:58 pm