65% of Americans reject gay-affirmative lessons in elementary school: poll
Image via WikipediaA recent poll released by Wenzel Strategies and World Net Daily indicates that a large majority of Americans – 65 percent – do not approve of gay-affirmative lessons in grade schools.
The poll was conducted for World Net Daily by the public-opinion and media consulting company Wenzel Strategies.
The telephone survey conducted April 19-21 asked the question: “Do you believe elementary school children should be taught that homosexuality is a normal alternative lifestyle?”
Only 22 percent of respondents said they believe such teaching would be right, while another 13 percent said they were unsure. The vast majority – 65 percent – said they do not approve of such teaching.
“Whether they object on moral grounds or simply out of concern that many U.S. schools are failing in their core missions of teaching basics doesn’t really matter – the vast majority of American adults want this type of curriculum kept out of the classroom,” Wenzel chief Fritz Wenzel said.
“Americans are particularly averse to the introduction of gay issues into the curriculum of the nation’s elementary schools,” Wenzel said. “Even among Democrats, who have been much more sympathetic to the promotion of gay issues, just 32 percent said they believe this should be taught to elementary school students. Just 11 percent of Republicans and 25 percent of political independents said the same thing.”
The poll also asked the question: “It is appropriate to expose elementary school students to ‘gay pride’ and ‘Gay History Month’ lessons that celebrate the lives of homosexual activists like Harvey Milk?” Only 1 in 5 people supported such lessons, while nearly 68 percent opposed the teaching.
To the question, “Should students be taught how to perform gay sex acts as part of ‘safe sex’ lessons in school?” more than 73 percent of respondents said no.
“At issue in the minds of respondents may be the idea that such lessons simply confuse younger students at a time when they are typically taught basic, concrete lessons of math, science, reading, and language,” Wenzel said.
“Younger students obviously know the difference between genders, but sex is completely foreign to the average elementary school student and these types of lessons are not helpful, respondents seem to be saying.”
The issue of pro-homosexual teaching in schools has had renewed debate recently in California with a bill that would mandate such teaching in the curriculum.
Many have also noted the renewed vigor with which gay issues are being promoted in schools following the appointment by President Barack Obama of well-known gay rights activist and founder of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Kevin Jennings, as assistant deputy secretary of the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
In a recent address to high school students at Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland, Jennings brought homosexual issues to the forefront. Although his lecture was announced as a presentation on bullying, the only bullying Jennings spoke of was that of homosexuals.
Jennings compared the “discrimination” against homosexuals with the discrimination against Black Americans in the past. He called on the youth to “make history” by stopping discrimination and standing up for self-identified homosexual youth.
“The message for you today is that you need to be an ally of people who have less than you,” said Jennings. “The only way this changes is if people stand up for those who are not as fortunate as themselves … the only people who have the power to stop this kind of thing is you.”
“So you’re going to have your own chance to make history,” Jennings told the students. “And you’re going to be remembered based on the decisions you make. Do you want to be remembered as the generation that allowed this to continue or do you want to be remembered as the generation that said this has got to stop? That’s your moment in history.”
The Washington Times recently issued a series of editorials addressing Jennings’ influence over children through his position in education.
“Teaching children sexual techniques is simply not appropriate.
Unfortunately, it is part of a consistent pattern by some homosexual activists to promote underage homosexuality while pretending that their mission is simply to promote tolerance for so-called alternative lifestyles,” the newspaper said.
“It is outrageous that someone involved in this scandal is being paid by the taxpayers to serve in a high-powered position at the Education Department, of all places. At some point, [Education Secretary Arne] Duncan, Mr. Jennings, Obama administration spokesmen and the president himself are going to have to start answering questions about all this. Refusing to do so won’t make the issue go away.”
