Obama's connection to GLSEN

Excerpts from article by Marcia Segelstein

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has had relationships with some questionable characters. Bill Ayers, unrepentant former domestic terrorist, is one. Despite evidence to the contrary -- and with the mainstream media turning a blind eye -- Obama has succeeded in dismissing his association as minimal and meaningless. The Rev. Jeremiah Wright is another. While there's no denying the fact that Wright was Obama's pastor, and that Wright married the Obamas and baptized their children, Obama managed to distance himself from Wright after the fact, claiming he was no longer the man he'd once known.

But there is another questionable character associated with Obama, and there's no denying the relationship this time. This questionable character is Kevin Jennings. Jennings is the founder of GLSEN -- the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. ...

Courtesy of GLSEN's website, you can get a list of "recommended books" for every age group, starting with kindergarten, to introduce children to the subject of homosexuality.

In Massachusetts, GLSEN is infamous for what's become known as "fistgate." On March 25, 2000, GLSEN sponsored, along with the Massachusetts Department of Education, a taxpayer-funded conference. Its goals included putting Gay/Straight Alliances into more Massachusetts schools, and expanding homosexual teaching into lower grades. Many gay-friendly teachers (who received development credits for being there) and administrators attended, along with students who were bussed in from their home districts.

One particular workshop was listed as a "youth only, ages 14-21" session, run by three self-professed gay presenters. Thanks to two members of a local Parents' Rights Coalition who secretly taped the session, we know exactly what happened. One of the teachers asked the assembled students what "fisting" meant. Following a descriptive definition, another of the adult presenters proceeded to demonstrate the proper formation of the hand for this sexual act. After a student of about 16 said that it didn't sound very appealing, the third adult presenter calmed his concerns. This technique, she explained, "often gets a really bad rap," and that it was "an experience of letting somebody into your body that you want to be that close and intimate with." Other homosexual acts were discussed and described in detail.

Here's some of what Marjorie King wrote about GLSEN for City Journal back in 2003:

"GLSEN often presents itself as a civil rights organization, saying it is only after 'tolerance' and 'understanding' for a victim group...But it is, in fact, a radical organization that...seeks to transform the culture and instruction of every public school, so that children will learn to equate 'heterosexism' – the favoring of heterosexuality as normal – with other evils like racism and sexism and will grow up pondering their sexual orientation and the fluidity of their sexual identity... One of the major goals of GLSEN...is to reform public school curricula and teaching so that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender – or LGBT – themes are always central and always presented in the approved light."

Jennings himself spoke about the importance of "framing" the debate in a speech he gave in March of 1995 to the Human Rights Campaign Fund Leadership Conference called "Winning the Culture War." Here's a small portion of what he said:

"In Massachusetts the effective reframing of this issue was the key to the success of the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth. We immediately seized upon the opponent's calling card – safety – and explained how homophobia represents a threat to students' safety by creating a climate where violence, name-calling, health problems, and suicide are common. Titling our report 'Making Schools Safe for Gay and Lesbian Youth,' we automatically threw our opponents onto the defensive and stole their best line of attack. This framing short-circuited their arguments and left them back-pedaling from day one."

Kevin Jennings wrote the foreword to the book Queering Elementary Education, which offers essays on "Locating a Place for Gay and Lesbian Themes in Elementary Reading, Writing and Talking." (Interestingly enough, Bill Ayers wrote a glowing blurb for the back of the book.)

Kevin Jennings now works for the Obama campaign, as fundraising co-chair for the LGBT community.

• Does Obama support the radical homosexual agenda that Jennings and GLSEN, the organization he founded, have already managed to impose in public schools across the country?

• Would Obama defend the GLSEN-sponsored conference at which teenagers were given explicit descriptions of homosexual acts?

The American public has a right to know.