Catholics Must Oppose SB 48

Below is a letter from Bill May, Chairman of Catholics for the Common Good to members of the California state Senate on Senate Bill SB 48.

We had commented on SB 48 back in February, in the post "The Costs of Propaganda: SB 48 Ignores Real Significance of LGBT Movement."

April 4, 2011


RE: SB 48 (Leno) Instruction: prohibition of discriminatory content

The Honorable Noreen Evans, Chair Senate Judiciary Committee
State Capitol, Room 2187
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Senator Evans, Catholics for the Common Good opposes SB 48. While it is laudable to fight discrimination, SB 48 is unnecessary and will be counterproductive.

Problems regarding LGBT bullying are not going to be solved by cosmetically sexualizing social studies in California K-12 schools by drawing attention to a person’s sexual orientation or life-style. Inserting “heterosexual” along with “gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender” in the bill will help demonstrate how inappropriate assignments of sexuality are in the course of teaching the contributions of people in history.

Sexuality is common to every human person. Sexuality and related lifestyles are only a small part of a person, and children must be taught that they do not have any bearing on the intrinsic dignity of the person. Requiring a focus on the sexuality of the person in text books and curricula could actually have the opposite effect than that intended as it reduces the person to an identity when in reality he or she is so much more.

It is the intrinsic value of the person that is the foundation of human rights and is the requirement for respect regardless of ability, physical characteristics, age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or cultural background, etc.

That fact that LGBT persons have faced and continue to face unjust discrimination is an important fact that must be taught and not forgotten, but this bill will not affect that.

Prohibition of discrimination in curriculum content and school activities is already protected in both the educational and criminal codes. This bill does nothing to augment that. However, the language of SB 48 is so vague, and subject to such broad interpretation, that it can only lead to confusion, conflict, and the potential for complaints and litigation at the state and school district levels. We do not need more conflict in schools but more focus on the respect and the dignity of all persons, and on the primary job of education, which is to contribute to the development and flourishing of each and every child that they might reach their full potential as productive members of society.

We urge you vote no on this bill.

Sincerely

William B. May

cc: Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee
The Honorable Mark Leno, Author

"As Bad As Any We Have Seen" ACTION ALERT On Calfornia SB 48

Here's a letter from our friend Bill May at Catholics for the Common Good on the latest California legislation attempting to normalize homosexual behavior.

SB 48 Hearing Wednesday, June 22
Assembly Education Committee
"Not permissible for anyone to remain idle"

When Pope John Paul II wrote the phrase quoted above in 1988, he could not have imagined SB 48, a bill that would change California textbooks and curriculum to bring the sexuality of gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual people to the attention of all students K-12 in social studies classes. This bill is so bad, that even the LA Times has editorialized against it. SB 48 will be heard in the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday, June 22 at 1:30 PM -- the final step before going to the Assembly floor and to the Governor for signature.

This bill is as bad as any we have seen.

The hearing came up on short notice. As of yesterday, the bill had not even been posted on the Assembly Education Committee’s online agenda. School board members and taxpayer groups that should be concerned with this bill are distracted by budget negotiations. The bill has budgetary consequences, but, on a technicality, legislative leaders have been able to hide them and avoided any scrutiny by fiscal committees. It is presented as an anti-bullying bill, but it is clear it has nothing to do with bullying. It will sexualize California students starting in Kindergarten and contribute to the effort to redefine sexuality, marriage, and family in the minds of children. It is geared to help them identify their parents as old-fashioned at best, more likely as hateful bigots, unless they conform to the radical agenda to redefine marriage.

See the far-reaching consequences of SB 48 in our extensive analysis. We have also included a link to the letter that CCG sent to the Assembly Education Committee yesterday asking them to vote against the bill. You must take the time to understand this bill and share the information with friends and family members.

Action

We have outlined specific, easy to take action on the website that includes contacting members of the Education Committee, particularly if you live in their districts, and sharing the action page on Facebook and through other social media. It is urgent that we spread the word as quickly as possible on this. Please take action immediately.

We also suggest that people within driving range of Sacramento come to the SB 48 hearing and respectfully state your opposition and indicate any group that you might be able to represent. As we have done on a few prior bills, we can gather at 12:30 in the cafeteria in the basement of the Capitol. It will be good to meet you.

The committee is likely to pass the bill. This hearing is critical because it is the last chance for providing testimony and getting expressions of opposition into the record. Please act on this right away.

Please offer prayers for the members of the committee and the respectful advocacy of concerned people from all over California.

For the Common Good,

Bill May
Chairman, Catholics for the Common Good

The Costs of Propaganda: SB 48 Ignores Real Significance of LGBT Movement

On December 13, 2010, State Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) introduced California Senate Bill 48, also known as the FAIR Education act. Equality California is a co-sponsor of the bill. SB 48 is currently in the Senate Judiciary and Senate Education Committees. The text reads, in part:

“Instruction in social sciences shall include the early history of California and a study of the role and contributions of … lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, and members of other ethnic and cultural groups, to the economic, political, and social development of California and the United States of America, with particular emphasis on portraying the role of these groups in contemporary society.”

Similar legislation has been introduced in the past, but was vetoed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar.

"Most textbooks don't include any historical information about the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) movement, which has great significance to both California and U.S. history," Leno said in a press release. He added: "Our collective silence on this issue perpetuates negative stereotypes of LGBT people and leads to increased bullying of young people."

While individual same-sex attracted individuals have certainly contributed to the good of society, it is undeniable that the “great significance to both California and U.S. history” of the LGBT movement in “contemporary society” has been the ongoing attempt at the destruction of marriage and the near self-extermination of male homosexuals through the AIDS epidemic.

Last week the homosexualist publication the Bay Area Reporter reported on the creation of the “Rainbow Honor Walk” in San Francisco:

“Fourteen men and six women have been chosen to be the first group of 20 LGBT luminaries to be honored with plaques along the sidewalks of the Castro, San Francisco's gay neighborhood.”

Presumably these are the kind of persons whose contributions SB 48 thinks should be recognized. But, as the BAR article mentions, of the 14 men so honored seven either committed suicide or died from AIDS.

Leno’s legislation also coincides with the release of the latest statistics on sexually transmitted diseases from the San Francisco Department of Public Health. These show an across-the board increase in the incidence of syphilis, rectal gonorrhea, and chlamydia. In San Francisco all STD trends are driven by men having “sex” with men. The report states:

“Overall reported chlamydia in-creased from 4,171 to 4,591 cases (10.1%) while male rectal chlamydia increased in 2010 from 740 to 913 cases for a 23.4% annual increase. Reported gonorrhea cases increased 9.8% from 1,787 in 2009 to 1,963 in 2010. Additionally, rectal gonorrhea among men also increased from 448 cases to 476 cases—a 6.3% increase. After recent declines in early syphilis seen in 2008, early syphilis sharply increased by 27.4% in 2010 from 519 cases to 661. The STD Prevention and Control Section of the San Francisco Department of Public Health recommends that all sexually active men who have sex with men be screened every 3 to 6 months for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.”

The ostensible rationale behind “anti-bullying” measures is the health and safety of same-sex attracted youngsters. But if that is in fact the rationale, shouldn’t legislation be introduced discouraging, or at least making clear the all too frequent consequences of homosexual behavior?

Pipeline News has more on SB 48, and recommendations on how Californians can make their concerns known.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

Speaking of Selfish Narcisstic Individuals, Brown Signs SB 48

Governer Jerry Brown has just signed SB 48, the homosexualist textbook propaganda law. It is noteworthy, and probably natural, that at the exact time the state is collapsing financially, it is collapsing morally and intellectually.

In actuality, it is becuse the state has already collapsed that something like SB 48 is concievable or that something like Proposition 8 was necessary.

Teaching the "great significance to both California and U.S. history' of the LGBT movement in 'contemporary society" (in the words of the bill's author, Senator Mark Leno) is self-defeating. The significance has been wholly negative. There certainly has been an impact: the AIDS epidemic and the LGBT movement's part in the destruction of the family. But those can hardly be called contributions, except in the sense of teaching people what not to do.

SB 48 will certainly increase society's justified contempt for, and flight from, California public schools.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

More Anti-Family Legislation: AB 1349 to Redefine Fatherhood

AB 1349, the third of an unholy trinity of bills introduced or co-sponsored by California anti-family homosexual activists is now before the state senate. The three bills are SB 48, AB 499, and AB 1349. All three bills are opposed by the California Catholic Bishops.

SB 48, co-sponsored by Equality California and by openly homosexual State Senator Mark Leno (D-SF) will change K-12 textbooks to reflect “historical information about the gay rights movement.” In a December 13, 2010 Equality California press release Senator Leno was quoted "Most textbooks don't include any historical information about the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) movement, which has great significance to both California and U.S. history.” Even the liberal Los Angeles Times is opposed to SB 48, on the grounds that “Politicians should not be in the business of writing textbooks.”

A second bill is AB 499, introduced by Assemblywoman Toni Atkins (D-SD). Ms. Atkins is a same-sex "married" open homosexual. AB 499 would allow children 12 years and older to be vaccinated for contagious and specifically venereal diseases without the consent of their parents.

The third bill is AB 1349, introduced by Assemblyman Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), and co-sponsored by Equality California. Bill May, of Catholics for the Common Good, writes:

“AB 1349 is a bill that is intended to redefine fatherhood for children born to unmarried mothers. It undermines the entire notion of natural parenthood. It also undermines the rights of fathers and the internationally recognized right of every child to know and, as far as possible, be cared for by his or her biological mother and father … When a child is born to an unmarried mother, biological fathers are currently encouraged to file a declaration of paternity, which the State Department of Child Support Services indicates helps children ‘gain the same rights and privileges of a child born within a marriage. Some of those rights include: financial support from both parents, access to important family medical records, access to the non-custodial parent's medical benefits, and the emotional benefit of knowing who both parents are.’

AB 1349 is in direct conflict with the goods intended by voluntary paternity declarations. The legislature should carefully consider this and the other wide-ranging and unintended consequences of this bill.

This bill provides mothers with inordinate power for depriving a child of a relationship with his or her father by controlling access to the child and laying the groundwork for having a voluntary declaration of paternity set aside using the criteria included in the bill. It is wrong to give any one person so much power in a proceeding that is adjudicating the rights of both parents and the child.

This bill would provide that a voluntary declaration of paternity is invalid if, at the time the declaration was signed, the child already had a presumed parent, as specified, or if the man signing the declaration is a sperm donor.”

There is, however, a stipulation in AB 1349 which protects the “rights” of sperm donors who specifically intend through this unnatural means to beget children. Sacramento’s Around the Capitol analysis of the bill says "This bill would enable a sperm donor to be treated as a natural father if it is agreed to in writing signed by the donor and the woman prior to the conception of the child." This cut-out would seem to be designed for male homosexuals. It is pretty well attested that normal men actually enjoy the traditional way of creating children—only homosexual men or an extraordinarily small number of heterosexual men would resort to sperm donation.

The genesis of AB 1349 may be in the Quale/Smith case of 2009. A brief history: Kim Smith and Maggie Quale were two Santa Cruz lesbian women who decided they wanted to have children. A man named Shawn Wallace was used as a sperm donor to impregnate Ms. Quale. She became a mother; he became a father. Ms. Quale gave birth to twins. Six months later Ms. Quale and Ms. Smith broke up. Ms. Quale then began a romantic relationship with the father, Mr. Wallace. Ms. Quale then limited contact between Ms. Smith and the children. Ms. Smith then filed an action against Ms. Quale. On February 1, 2010, the Advocate online newspaper reported: “Representing Smith, Deborah Wald of the National Center for Lesbian Rights calls the case ‘a very dangerous precedent for lesbian couples having children with the assistance of known sperm donors’ if custody is not awarded to Smith.” Eventually, the two women arrived at a settlement that acknowledged the rights of both as “parents” to the children.

All three bills are part of an ongoing campaign to undercut the natural family, its authority, and its definition. For the “equality” sought by homosexual activists to be successfully imposed on society, radical redefinitions of the family, of motherhood, and of fatherhood are required. AB 1349 does that. The embracing of unhealthy sexuality requires children to be freed from the healthy effect of their parent’s wisdom. AB 499 does that. Finally, a program of indoctrination will be necessary in schools. SB 48 does that.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

California Catholic Bishops Express Oppositon to SB 48

But their opposition seems a little tepid to me. For instance, I've heard of nothing being sent from bishops to pastors, instructing them to encourage parishioners to call their representatives.

From today's Catholic San Francisco:

"The California Catholic Conference is opposing a state bill that would require social studies texts to specifically include the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. The bill would also prohibit the state Board of Education from adopting instructional materials that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The bill, SB 48, is 'unnecessary and overly intrusive' conference Executive Director Ned Dolejsi testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee April 5. Teaching acceptance and tolerance is laudable but 'making the characteristic of an historical actor preeminent in the study of her or his accomplishment, contribution and/or historical significance potentially diminishes the individual and the subject matter being taught,' the conference said in a letter to the committee."

The article also quoted from the press release of Senator Mark Leno (D-SF), author of the bill:

"Most textbooks don’t include any historical information about the LGBT movement, which has great significance to both California and U.S. history. Our collective silence on this issue perpetuates negative stereotypes of LGBT people and leads to increased bullying of young people. We can’t simultaneously tell youth that it’s OK to be yourself and live an honest, open life when we aren’t even teaching students about historical LGBT figures or the LGBT equal rights movement.”

We responded to that argument in a post on SB 48 back in February: "While individual same-sex attracted individuals have certainly contributed to the good of society, it is undeniable that the 'great significance to both California and U.S. history' of the LGBT movement in 'contemporary society' has been the ongoing attempt at the destruction of marriage and the near self-extermination of male homosexuals through the AIDS epidemic."

We could add the role that the "LGBT movement" has played in the eradication of sexual modesty. The LGBT movement is not solely resposible for this, of course, but they bear their share of responsibility--certainly in San Francisco. Example: these two guys are in San Francisco's 2008 "Pride" parade--right in the center of the city:

Sorry if anyone is offended, but that is reality. For a very forthright bit of church teaching on the issue of same-sex attractedness, see this article about Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney

“An abstraction of what a family used to look like."

“An abstraction of what a family used to look like."
Mark Leno’s Latest Redefinition

On July 2, the Daily Mail UK reported: “From the dawn of time, the natural order of things has been that a child has two parents: a mother and a father, but a new bill that is currently before the California state Assembly might change all that.

State Senator Mark Leno (shown left at the Dore Alley leather fair, photo cortesy SFist) has proposed legislation to allow a child to have multiple parents. ‘The bill brings California into the 21st century, recognizing that there are more than Ozzie and Harriet families today….

SB 1476 stemmed from an appellate court case last year involving a child's biological mother, her same-sex partner, and a man who had an affair with the biological mother and got her pregnant while she was separated temporarily from her female lover.”

The Daily Mail quoted Karen Anderson, of the California Protective Parents Association, who objected to the bill: ‘It's hard enough for children to be split up two ways, much less multiple ways,’ she told the Sacramento Bee."

In the San Jose Mercury News, Ed Howard, senior counsel for the Children's Advocacy Institute at the University of San Diego School of Law, and an advocate for the legislation offered this justification: "It's not us who have changed the nature of families; families have done it on their own…It is cruel to prevent judges from ruling a way that protects kids in favor of an abstraction of what a family used to look like."

This is not the first redefinition engineered by Leno. He sponsored a number of bills attempting to redefine marriage in the state of California , all of which were vetoed by then-governor Arnold Schwarzenneggar. He is also the sponsor of SB 48, a bill with the professed intention of the prevention of “bullying” but whose actual intent is brainwashing children into the affirmation of homosexuality. As Leno said in a press release announcing the bill "Most textbooks don't include any historical information about the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) movement, which has great significance to both California and U.S. history…" Pro-Family groups are currently trying to overturn SB 48.

Leno is one of the worst of the many bad San Francisco Democratic politicians who have completely “demoralized” California government. Leno is a supporter and regular attendee at San Francisco’s disgusting Folsom Street Fair. From a September 2010 article in the Bay Area Reporter “The city's long-established leather community tends to enjoy a strong relationship with city government. ‘Local politicians have been very friendly and supportive,’ said Liza Sibley, executive producer of Ms. San Francisco Leather. ‘[State Senator] Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) has always been fabulous for the leather community. [Assemblyman] Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) has always been wonderful in talking to the leather community." In addition, she observed, District 8 supervisor candidates Rebecca Prozan, Scott Wiener, and Rafael Mandelman were present at this year's annual Leather Walk.’ ‘This is a rare Folsom I'll miss,’ Leno told the Bay Area Reporter.”

The almost unbelievable immorality of San Francisco’s political structure was highlighted this past week with the arrest of long-time “gay rights icon” Larry Brinkin. Brinkin, a highly respected member in San Francisco politics, who served for more than 20 years on the City’s Human Rights Commission, and received a salary of $135,000, was arrested for the possession of child pornography. The alternative “SF Weekly” reported “The warrant (for Brinkin’s arrest) claims these e-mails contained images of children as young as perhaps a year old being sodomized by and performing oral sex on adult men. Zack3737@aol.com -- whom the police allege is Brinkin -- provided graphic commentary on the photos of interracial adult-child sex. Comments included "I loved especially the n***** 2 year old getting nailed. Hope you'll continue so I can see what the little blond b**** is going to get. White Power! White Supremacy! White D*** Rules!" Editing added..

On his retirement from the Human Rights Commission, the City’s board of Supervisors named the first week in February “Larry Brinkin Week.” As CalCatholic reported, Brinkin was joined on the Human Rights Commission by Patrick Mulcahey, a man who openly keeps a “slave” and gives workshops promoting the “Master/slave” lifestyle. Publication of Brinkin’s arrest, which occurred on Friday, June 22,was delayed until Monday, June 25, so as not to cast a pall over the City’s “Gay pride” parade, held on June 24. The response to the Brinkin case seems rather mild. The San Francisco District Attorney is still deciding whether to file charges. The San Francisco Chronicle has not followed up on this case, which took place in its own backyard, and which has made news internationally, since the initial story of Monday, and a second story on June 26.

Legislation to Alienate Children from Parents Introduced by Same-Sex "Married" Assemblywoman

In California, there is an ongoing legislative war against the family. It is being led by openly homosexual legislators.

Four times this year we have reported on SB 48, a bill that would change California textbooks and curriculum to bring the sexuality of gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual people to the attention of all students K-12 in social studies classes. Bill May, of Catholics for the Common Good noted that the bill was so bad even the Los Angeles Times editorialized agains it. The bill was authored by openly homosexual state Senator Mark Leno.

Mr. May also notes that SB 48 "...replaces the word 'sex' with 'gender'. This is significant considering that word 'gender' in the Education code is being redefined in AB 887, a bill sponsored by Equality California and authored by gay rights advocate Assemblywoman Toni Atkins of San Diego. In that bill 'gender' is defined as 'sex, and includes a person's gender identity and gender expression. ‘Gender expression’ means a person's gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person's assigned sex at birth.'”

Today, California Catholic Daily reported on Assembly Bill 499, also introduced by Assemblywoman Toni Atkins. Ms. Atkins is a same-sex "married" open homosexual. AB 499 would allow children 12 years and older to be vaccinated for contagious and specifically venereal diseases without the consent of their parents.

On June 24, the California Catholic Bishops sent out an action alert: “The bill would allow children aged 12-18, access to the HPV vaccine Gardasil without their parents’ knowledge or permission,” said the bishops. The bill is an unfortunate -- but not unforeseen – continuation of California’s trend to diminish parental rights and give teenagers ‘permission’ to keep secrets from their parents.”

The bishops also said "Urging young teens to engage in behavior that is designed to be kept hidden from their parents may cause irreparable harm to the parent-child relationship to say nothing of the exposing children to physical danger from an adverse reaction to the vaccine itself."

We (and certainly not only we) have noted the totalitarianism inherent in the homosexual activist movement. Like all totalitarianism, it is based on alienation from the natural world. They try to make the alienation the reality by forcing others, including our children, to share it.

The Bishops' webpage allows you the opportunity to express your opposition to AB 499.

Referendum to Overturn SB 48 Begun

That did not take long.

From today's San Francisco Chronicle:

A socially conservative organization based in Sacramento filed documents Friday afternoon to start a voter referendum on a controversial law that adds the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans to school instruction.

The proponent of the proposed referendum, Paulo Sibaja, filed a request for a title and summary with the attorney general's office. Sibaja said he acted on behalf of the Capitol Resource Institute, which had officially opposed the bill throughout the legislative process before Gov. Jerry Brown signed it Thursday. Sibaja is the legislative director of that organization.

The Capitol Resource Institute is a hard-line, socially conservative organization that has long opposed efforts in California to expand rights for the LGBT population. Backers eventually would have to collect 433,971 signatures to allow voters to decide whether to keep the law in place or reject it.

Sibaja said that a coalition has formed behind the proposed measure, though he would not name the other members. He said a news conference Wednesday would give more details. When asked how the group planned to fund the referendum, he said, "That's what the press conference will be about."

Speaking of SB 48, Bill May, of Catholics for the Common Good, weighs in this morning in an article at the Catholic News Agency.