NEW YORK CITY: Churches Win Temporary Stay On Public School Evictions

The 160 churches that operate virtually free in New York City's public schools have been granted a temporary reprieve from the eviction ordered by a federal court of appeals.

Alliance Defense Fund says the temporary restraining order is in effect for 10 days while the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York more fully considers constitutional arguments about the city’s unique-in-the-nation prohibition on worship services in vacant public school buildings on weekends. As ADF senior counsel Jordan Lorence puts it, “Churches help communities; evicting churches hurts communities. Empty buildings offer nothing to communities that need hope.”

Andy Humm reports at Gay City News that anti-gay Christian groups are operating a "church planting" network intended to indoctrinate children attending public schools.

The congregation’s legal argument relied on the Supreme Court’s Good News v. Milford Central School ruling that allowed religious meetings in schools. In “The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children,” published last month, Katherine Stewart argues that the “real mission” of Good News Clubs in schools is to “convert children to fundamentalist Christianity and encourage them to proselytize to their ‘unchurched’ peers, all the while promoting the false but unavoidable impression among the children that its activities are endorsed by the school.” She also documents how leaders “of the church-planting movement have declared their ambition to turn all 1,200 of New York City’s schools into churches.”

As an example of the type of churches granted the above-cited reprieve, here's what the Village Church, which operates out of PS 3 on Hudson Street, has on its website.You read that right. An "ex-gay" ministry affiliated with Exodus is operating in New York City public schools. And YOU are paying for it. Why not just charge us for the rope used to hang us?

MISSOURI: Alliance Defense Fund Sues To Force Anti-Abortion Posters Into Schools

The Alliance Defense Fund has filed suit in Missouri to force public schools to allow students to place anti-abortion posters on school walls. According to the ADF, if the school allows "political" speech like posters supporting the anti-bullying Day Of Silence, they must also allow anti-abortion posters.

A lawsuit that has been filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, southern division, by the Alliance Defense Fund that alleges violations of the First and 14th Amendments as well as the Missouri Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The claim in federal court, brought on behalf of J.A., “by and through her next friend, Jodie Anderson,” pinpoints the district’s “censorship of plaintiff’s religious, pro-life flyers and plaintiff’s public announcement over the intercom inviting students to participate in the annual Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity.” “The district previously has allowed the posting of materials, including: posters for the Day of Silence in support of students who feel bullied based upon their sexual orientation.

"Don't Say Gay" Bill Advances In TN

Tennessee's infamous "Don't Say Gay" bill advanced yesterday after a hearing before a state House committee.

The House Education subcommittee approved the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill on a voice vote Wednesday, renewing a debate that roiled the legislature last spring over whether elementary and middle schools should be allowed to initiate discussions about homosexuality. The panel accepted the version of the bill that passed the state Senate late in last year's session. The vote kept the bill on a path to be voted on by the full House before the legislature adjourns in the spring. Opponents say it will not curb talk about homosexuality among grade school kids but will send the signal that it should be stigmatized. But several lawmakers argued that it would protect parents' right to educate their children about their beliefs on their own terms.

Christian Group Plans Rally To Force Government Mandated Prayer In Schools

Right Wing Watch has a quote from the organizer:

This is a movement that is not about a denomination or a church, but a DEMONSTRATION of the Kingdom of God. Signs, wonders, and miracles have broken out amongst students and teachers alike. Teachers have been healed of incurable diseases, and students no longer turn to the counselors for advice, but the Christian Club for prayer and support. A movement that doesn’t care if a student is a Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Wiccan, Atheist, or anything in between, all are invited to encounter the Love of Jesus and what He has to offer.

Quote Of The Day - Pastor Bill Devlin

"This will now go like a flood from east to west because the misnamed [American] Civil Liberties Union will grab ahold of this, as will other forces that oppose worship and oppose the church. This will go like a tsunami across the nation. So when they say that they're just excluding churches for whatever reason, it's discriminatory, it's a monstrosity of religious intolerance, it's wrong, and it's against the Constitution, which guarantees religious liberty and the freedom of speech." - Manhattan Bible Church head Bill Devlin, who claims to be in the 28th day of a protest fast over the eviction of churches from NYC public schools.

RELATED: I noticed a couple of gay activists listed in the friends section of Devlin's Facebook page, so I clicked around to see if his "church" is gay-friendly. (It totally is not.) But only if you are working at home today should you dare click on the partners link on his website. And even then, maybe not.

FRC: We're Suing NYC Over Churches

Harvard Students - It Gets Better

"Ex-Gays" Are Being Oppressed!

PFOX is outraged that a Maryland school board member is "disgusted" by their flier campaign telling students that they don't have to "choose" to be gay.

"We call on the Montgomery County Board of Education to enforce its Nondiscrimination Policy and censure Superintendent Starr immediately," said Regina Griggs, executive director of PFOX. "The Policy mandates that schools provide 'an atmosphere where differences are understood and appreciated, and where all persons are treated fairly and with respect in an environment free of discrimination and ... abuse.' Clearly Starr has violated the Board's Policy," said Griggs. "Starr's verbal abuse, disrespectful behavior, and slurs against the ex-gay community amount to hate and illegal sexual orientation discrimination, which are all forbidden by the Policy." According to media reports, Starr is discussing with his staff how to turn the fliers into a learning experience for students. "Starr does not respect diversity and is creating an unsafe school environment," said Griggs.

NOTE: The media spokesdouche for the Maryland campaign has been FRC's Peter Sprigg, who has called for the criminalization of homosexuality.

"Ex-Gays" Hand Out Fliers At MD Schools

Christianist Bullies Attack Rolling Stone

The Christianists who want it to be legal for their children to assault and harass LGBT kids have now focused their ire on Rolling Stone, who last week published a lengthy expose of a Minnesota school system.

According to Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute, teachers should not be allowed to intervene when gay children are being beaten:

Teachers are employees of the government. In that role, they have no right to affirm controversial moral beliefs, even if they believe that doing so will reduce the incidence of bullying. There are ways to curb bullying without affirming controversial, non-factual moral (or political assumptions). Schools must ensure that teachers not exploit their government-subsidized employment to engage in moral or political philosophizing. To prevent the kind of ideological propagandizing in which homosexual activists and their allies seek to engage in the classroom, policy must explicitly prohibit teachers from expressing their personal views on controversial issues.

NOTE: The Illinois Family Institute is an SPLC-certified hate group and the former employer of Peter LaBarbera.

New York City Council Balks At Resolution Endorsing Churches In Public Schools

To the surprise of some observers and despite having dozens of co-sponsors, on Friday the NYC Council refused to endorse a resolution in support of a pending state bill that would allow churches to hold services in public school buildings. Religious groups are being booted from city school premises after the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a lower court's ruling that they should not be allowed to rent or have free access to public school spaces.

Andy Humm reports at Gay City News that the resolution was done in by complaints from openly gay Queens Councilman Daniel Dromm:

Dromm wrote to Council colleagues, “I believe allowing churches that preach virulent homophobia in public schools violates not only the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause but also New York City law.” Several students from the Bronx High School of Science testified against the resolution. “If someone is excluded because of sexual orientation, it is a violation of the school’s administrative code,” said Diego Velasquez. “Everyone is supposed to feel welcome. No one in the school is above the administrative code,” including outside groups. Bronx Science does not now have a church worshipping in its school, in part because the school is utilized by students engaging in extracurricular activities on Saturdays and Sundays. But any empty space in the school could be requested by a church whenever classes are not in session under the new state bill. The religious groups using the schools as their churches are capitalizing on the lack of after-school and weekend activities available to students in schools serving poorer students.

Dromm: "I am frustrated that sometimes my colleagues don’t seem to take these churches’ virulent homophobia as seriously as it should be taken. It is an outrage that progressive people aren’t as outraged as is necessary. These issues are at the core of determining whether you’re a progressive."

Last month anti-gay hate groups led a coalition of local church members in a march over the Brooklyn Bridge to express support for the bill. FRC head Tony Perkins and other leading opponents of New York's recent marriage equality law have loudly lobbied Albany for the bill's passage.

Rolling Stone On Anti-Gay Bullying

I'm just going to give you one paragraph from Rolling Stone's excellent long-form piece on bullying and suicide in Michele Bachhmann's home district.

"This isn't something you kid about, Brittany," her mom scolded, snatching the kitchen cordless and taking it down the hall to call the Johnsons. A minute later she returned, her face a mask of shock and terror. "Honey, I'm so sorry. We're too late," she said tonelessly as Brittany's knees buckled; 13-year-old Sam had climbed into the bathtub after school and shot herself in the mouth with her own hunting rifle. No one at school had seen her suicide coming. No one saw the rest of them coming, either.

Go read the rest.

PENNSYLVANIA: Red-Caped Catholic Loons Protest "Pro-Abortion" Speakers

The red-caped Catholic loons of Tradition, Values & Property took a day off from their usual schedule of foam-mouthed anti-gay hate rallies to demonstrate against the University of Scranton.

Quote Of The Day - Jessica Lappin

"Most New Yorkers probably don’t realize that, right now, about 160 New York City schools are doubling as churches. I’m not talking about a religious after school club or bible study group. These churches use the same public space, at the same time, in the same school each and every week for free, or just the cost of custodial fees. Even worse, some are using taxpayer-subsidized space to preach hatred of homosexuals and people of other faiths. What’s more, the state legislation in both the Assembly and the Senate is so broad it would 'prohibit the adoption of restrictions to exclude or limit speech during non-school hours, including speech that expresses religious conduct or viewpoints.'

"What does that mean? It means the Department of Education wouldn’t be allowed to turn away any groups at all, religious or otherwise – not even the Ku Klux Klan or a pornography club could be denied. Freedom of religion and the separation of church and state are unique and critical elements of our democracy. Nowhere in America is that wall more apparent or important than in 21st century New York, a city more culturally, ethnically, and religiously diverse than any in history." - NYC Councilwoman Jessica Lappin, via press release.

Today the NYC Council will consider a resolution endorsing the above-mentioned state bill that would allow religious services in NYC public schools despite a recent federal appeals court ruling which banned churches from renting or having free access to public schools. Last week the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review the appeals court decision. At least 35 NYC Council members have cosponsored the resolution.

NOTE: Lappin is the councilwoman for my Upper East Side district.

FLORIDA: State Senate Passes Bill To Allow Student Prayers In Public Schools

The Florida Senate has approved a bill that would allow students to pray in public schools as long as the prayers weren't organized by adults. Oh, right.

The “inspirational messages” proposal (SB 98), proposed by Orlando Democratic Sen. Gary Siplin and approved by a 31-8 vote, would allow school boards to adopt policies granting students the right to have prayers at any school assembly but school administrators, teachers, coaches or other personnel from scrutinizing or participating in the prayers. A handful of Democrats argued against the bill, saying students already have the opportunity to pray privately objecting that the measure could create divisiveness. “We don’t have an issue in the state of Florida with the lack of ability of public school students to pray openly. What we want to do is keep our public school kids with the one inspirational message they all need: study, study, study. When they come to the school they can park their religious beliefs at home,” said Sen. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, who is Catholic.

One legislator warns that the bill will backfire once a "smart-alecky" kid organizes a student prayer from the Koran.

Quote Of The Day - Stacey Campfield

"As you may have read I was asked to leave a restaurant in Knoxville because my beliefs did not support the owners beliefs on homosexuality. I had not said anything. I was just standing there waiting for a table when the owner came up and started yelling at me calling me names and telling me they were not going to serve me because of my alleged beliefs saying I hate gays. I said in as calm a way as I could that I don't hate gays and the things I have said were backed up by the CDC. I offered to send her the links.

"I have been quite open and clear on my beliefs and have backed them up with facts from the CDC and others. Unfortunately some people do not let facts get in the way of their prejudice. [snip] The cries of 'Ha ha. we showed him!' fall flat to me. It is not I who lost out. My friends and I still had a good meal. We just gave our money to a more gracious host. What was showed was a lack of professionalism." - Tennessee state Rep. Stacey Campfield, the author of his state's "Don't Say Gay" bill. Last week Campfield appeared on the Michelangelo Signorile Show to declare that straight people don't get AIDS.

RELATED: The best comment from Campfield's blog.

Except, as the owner said, members of your state have multiple places to eat. They do not, however, have multiple legislatures to protect their rights. By refusing rights to gays, you are just demonstrating that you are a homophobic bible-thumper stuck in the past. "They claim tolerances for divergent points of view.....Until someone actually has one."

ALSO RELATED: Signorile interviewed the owner of the restaurant.