Year In Review: 'Common Ground' Document at Center of Homosexual/Ex-'Gay' Squabble
December 19, 2006

(AgapePress) - - A homosexual activist group and an "ex-gay" group are accusing each other of misconstruing a new agreement between the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and the Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) on how to deal with the issue of sexual orientation in public schools.

The document -- which is called "Public Schools and Sexual Orientation: A First Amendment Framework for Finding Common Ground" -- recommends that schools not adopt a certain organization's agenda, but rather invite all stakeholders to the table when discussing sexuality. Among other things, this "common ground" document urges school officials to "take seriously complaints of name calling, harassment, and discrimination" and to avoid discriminating against student clubs because of their political or religious message.

But Jody Huckaby -- the head of the homosexuality advocacy group Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) -- claims the group Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) has "utterly twisted the intent of the document" by suggesting that the perspective of former homosexuals is protected by the First Amendment and should be heard in public schools. In addition, PFLAG says although the "ex-gay" viewpoint should be "heard during deliberations," it does not "warrant the stamp of legitimacy."

Dr. Warren Throckmorton, a spokesman for PFOX who endorses the document's guidelines, says PFLAG is engaging in doublespeak and promoting intolerance.

"The communication from PFLAG that PFOX doesn't have a legitimate perspective worth hearing is contrary to the intent of these guidelines," says Throckmorton. "The intent of these guidelines is that people who have viewpoints about sexual orientation should be allowed to express them within the public square, and the purpose of these guidelines has been misrepresented by PFLAG."

PFLAG refers to the document as a "GLSEN project...to help educators and administrators create ground rules for discussing GLBT [gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, trans-sexual] issues." But Throckmorton, a noted sexual orientation researcher, says PFLAG's claim is "nothing but spin."

"First of all, it was a project of the First Amendment Center and BridgeBuilders that solicited agreement from GLSEN and the Christian Educators," he says. "It wasn't their project. And also, the purpose wasn't to create ground rules for discussing GLBT issues. The purpose was to create rules of discussion or guidelines for discussing sexual orientation issues in school."

According to Throckmorton, the First Amendment guidelines affirm the right of people who believe that homosexuality is immoral to speak their mind in public schools. In fact, Finn Laursen, the executive director of CEAI, asserts the guidelines give Christian educators some control with regard to how homosexual issues are presented -- without being forced to suppress absolute, biblical truth.