Week Promotes Homosexuality in Schools

Special Report - January 18, 2008
Children in elementary and middle schools across the nation could be introduced to "sexual orientation" and other homosexual themes during the upcoming “No Name-Calling Week” (NNCW) scheduled for January 21-25. Launched in 2004 by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)—a homosexual advocacy group—and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, the annual event purports to be about ending bullying in schools. But a closer look at NNCW—particularly at the book that inspired the event and some of the materials being used to promote it—should raise red flags for parents.

According to the NNCW web site, the inspiration for the event was The Misfits, a young adult novel written by outspoken homosexual author, James Howe. The book features the story of four best friends who are bullied by other students at their middle school about their weight, height and sexual orientation. One of the main characters in the book is 12-year-old “Joe,” who is described as “openly homosexual.” The four friends decide to run in the student council elections at their middle school, using a platform that focuses on ending name-calling. In an interview about the book with Simon and Schuster, on their website, SimonSays.com, James Howe stated: “I wrote Joe’s character with a great deal of thought. I wanted him to be a kid who sees himself as cool, who sees nothing wrong with being attracted to the boy who sits next to him in art class as opposed to the girl on the other side of him. He understands—as do the other “misfits” in this story—that the problem isn’t with himself, it’s with the attitudes and ignorance of others. Joe likes himself, he isn’t self-pitying in the least, but he still suffers from not knowing how to tell a boy he likes him. . .” James Howe often speaks at middle schools as part of NNCW events, and The Misfits is part of the educational resource kit recommended to schools to promote the week. Some schools require students to read the book and discuss it as part of their NNCW activities.

Although it is aimed at grades five through eight, teaching resources for elementary schools were recently introduced. Lesson 4 of the NNWC elementary school resource guide includes two scenarios that deal with pro-homosexual themes, including one where “Shelly” brings her two daddies to a school event. In the middle school resource guide, Lesson 1 includes two poems addressing “homophobia” in schools with some parts written from the perspective of a young person who is openly homosexual and/or struggling with gender confusion.

In addition to promoting homosexuality, NNCW also incorporates the New Age technique of "guided imagery" into its activities. For example, Lesson 5 of the elementary school resources instructs teachers to take children on a “guided fantasy,” where students are asked to visualize a bully-free school. The teacher states: “I want you to close your eyes. Take a deep breath–breathe in, and now breathe out. Let your body begin to relax, and as you breathe deeply in and out, let all the noises around you fade into the background. We are going to use our imaginations to take a journey. . . I am going to help you walk through this school, but it is up to you to decide what this school looks and sounds like, and how it feels to be there.”

Guided fantasy or imagery is a popular New Age technique that many Christians associate with the occult and paganism. Nancy Pearcey and Chuck Colson explain in How Now Shall We Live that “beneath the secular rhetoric, these programs embody the basic Hindu doctrine that the individual human mind or spirit is part of a Universal Mind or Spirit, and that by using relaxation techniques and guided imagery exercises, we can tap into that Mind as a source of wisdom and creativity.” (pg. 266) These methods are often used to open children’s minds to anti-Christian values, including the myth that homosexuality is normal and healthy. According to the Academy of Guided Imagery, at least one type of guided imagery "is capable of bringing about profound psychological and physiological change, as it simultaneously empowers and educates the patients."

Bill Brooks, president of the North Carolina Family Policy Council commented, "Portions of the NNCW curriculum incorporates a message that homosexuality is acceptable and normal. The NNCW program also suggests the program message be reinforced through the use of powerful psychological techniques that can leave a indellible mark on children. We encourage parents to educate themselves and other parents about NNCW and take appropriate steps to protect children from a message that may conflict, on several levels, with their beliefs and their faith."

Parents should contact their child's school to determine if NNCW will be offered.

Copyright © 2008. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.