Opponents to new anti-bullying bill emerge

To the children who've been bullied, harassed or attacked physically because of sexual orientation it makes perfect sense to add them as a protected category in laws that prohibit such harassment in the schools.

That's exactly why high school students who've been victims of bullying testified at the Capitol last week in support of the bills which would specify sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin and physical characteristics to a list of harassment scenarios schools would be expected to actively prevent.

The Minnesota Family Council opposes adding the terms sexual orientation and gender identity to Minnesota statutes, and the group vows to fight the bills. The group will put forth several witnesses, including parents, when the hearing on the legislation resumes in the state senate Tuesday.

"We all agree that we shouldn't have bullying through behavior and speech," the Council's executive director Tom Pritchard told KARE, "But when you go beyond that to try to re-educate and social engineer what kids believe -- very young children, kindergarten, first grade, second grade -- we think that's inappropriate."

The bills in their current form do not mandate adding curriculum, or classroom instruction, geared toward harassment prevention or victimization of people based on sexual orientation. The Family Council argues, however, adding that language will indirectly lead to curriculum focused on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons.

"Maybe I don't want my child taught about gender identification, or homosexuality, in first grade," Jill Rose, a Minneapolis parent, told KARE.

"Maybe I'd like to talk them in the fourth grade using my own words."

Rose is one of three parents who came to the Capitol Monday to tell reporters of their battle with their local elementary school's administration and the Minneapolis Board of Education over the "Welcoming Schools" curriculum.

The curriculum was developed by the Human Rights Campaign and is being tested at three grade schools in Minneapolis. It's designed to raise awareness of nontraditional families, and help children gain empathy toward classmates who are different.

One handout to parents explained, "Children learn about common characteristics of all families and to describe a variety of family structures."

Rose, who moved her children to a private school, expressed fear that students who disagree openly with the notion of same-sex marriage will be branded as bullies.

The letter from the principal came with a form allowing parents to opt their children out of those lessons, but Rose worries parents who do that will be criticized by other parents.

"We've already been called 'haters' and 'gay bashers' by other parents in the district," she complained.

Supporters of the anti-harassment and anti-bullying bills stressed there's no curriculum component in these pieces of legislation, and that age-appropriate classroom instruction is a separate issue to be decided on a local level.

By John Croman, KARE 11 News

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