Pro-Family Advocate Condemns Illinois 'Homosexual Teachers Recruitment Bill'
by Ed Thomas
February 15, 2005
(AgapePress) - The homosexual lobby in Illinois continues to push its agenda into the state legislature. Fresh on the heels of passage of a major "gay rights" bill, a homosexual politician has introduced a measure seeking health benefits for same-sex partners of Chicago school teachers.
Openly homosexual State Representative Larry McKeon introduced that measure, House Bill 177, on the same day that a gender discrimination ban was added to the Illinois Human Rights Act. If the proposal succeeds, pro-family groups fear first and foremost that it will attract more homosexual teachers in Chicago to the city's public schools. That is something pro-family leaders like the Illinois Family Institute's David Smith do not want to see happen.
Smith believes the legislation is a danger to the state's families. "It also entices other homosexual activist teachers from surrounding suburbs to come to the Chicago public school," he says, "and, of course, most parents wouldn't want to have a homosexual teacher teaching their children in a classroom."
The IFI spokesman considers McKeon to be the primary culprit behind HB 177 and accuses the politician of clearly using it to give the homosexual cause even more of a foothold in Illinois than it already has. He says the state legislator "has an agenda, as a homosexual activist, to see the agenda advanced in schools, in employment, in government -- wherever it can be advanced."
Also, Smith notes that Chicago schools have already announced the elimination of more than a thousand teaching positions because of a budget shortfall of $200 million in the district. Therefore, he does not feel state legislators can justify adding the additional expense of medical coverage for non-spouse same-sex partners of the remaining teachers.
Ed Thomas, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
