Calif. school gender-training mandate rockets toward governor

SB 777, sponsored by State Senator Sheila Kuhl, makes provision for including positive portrayal of homosexuality, bi-sexuality, transgenderism and all related lifestyles, practices, and actions into textbooks, instructional materials, and school-sponsored activities. AB 394, sponsored by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, provides educational materials to teachers, students, and parents, and monitors possible "harassment" of homosexuality in the schools.

Karen England of Capitol Resource Institute (CRI) says the legislative push on these measures was expected from liberal Democrats this session, but not to the extent of suspending procedural rules and avoiding public debate -- including the normal three days in each legislative chamber.

"They did away with the three days in the Senate, the three days in the Assembly," England explains. "It was heard one day, then heard the next day, and then it's to the governor's desk. They forced them through ... before people really had any sort of full debate on them. That is how desperate they are to force this on the people of California."

Yet England sees a bit of a silver lining in that tactic. "It's a little disappointing [how it was done]," she laments, "but maybe that's a good sign [that] they felt like they wouldn't have had the votes if they'd had the people actually hear about it and debate about it."

The CRI spokeswoman is urging Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to stand up for all California school children and veto the two bills that she contends are trying to change the purpose of the public school system.

"It is absolutely ridiculous that we have turned our education centers into social, sexual indoctrination centers -- and that is what's going on," says England. "I mean, this is for our kindergartners through twelfth graders."