by Mass Resistance
When the Legislature goes back into session in January, Planned Parenthood and its homosexual / sex-ed coalition are poised to re-file its bill to make "comprehensive health education" (which includes homosexuality, abortion, and other radical issues) a mandatory part of the curriculum for the public schools.
The goal is to make "health education" a legal state requirement for graduation from Massachusetts public schools, and even for passing to higher grade levels. It would also base the required teaching of "comprehensive health" issues throughout grades K-12 on the infamous "Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum Framework", which includes extremely offensive and controversial mandates on homosexuality, abortion counseling, intrusive psychological issues, sex education, and other topics. Currently, that framework is optional, and practically all schools ignore it.
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum
How the bill would mandate the Health Curriculum in the schools
"It will mandate that public schools teach kids that abortion, premarital sex, birth control and homosexual behavior are okay," said Linda Thayer, of Massachusetts Citizens for Life (MCFL) in the Catholic newspaper The Anchor. "This violates our freedom of religion and conscience. It's a train wreck coming down the pike because it will force us to surrender our rights as parents to people who have an economic and political agenda."
In 2005, Planned Parenthood announced their intention, as the "cornerstone" of their new 5-year plan, to require sex-ed and homosexuality in every public school in Massachusetts. This bill was filed in the 2005-2006 Legislative session, and again in the 2007-2008 session. Both times it started out with huge support among legislators. But both times it got killed in the Education Committee after a tidal wave of public outrage coordinated by MassResistance and other pro-family groups.
In their first attempt, in 2005, the bill was filed as H1641. The public hearing for the bill before the Education committee took place on January 31, 2006. Planned Parenthood and the homosexual lobby planned a slick presentation. But over 400 angry citizens jammed into the public hearing room from across the state. Testimony lasted until after 9:00 pm. After that, the bill quietly died.
In 2007 they tried a second attempt; the bill was filed as H597. They really made a push this time. They re-worded the text of the bill to make it more subtle (though just as effective). They got 67 co-sponsors in the Legislature. To pass this bill, they organized a coalition of dozens of groups from across Massachusetts, called Care for Youth - so it would like it was a broad-based effort. They did huge lobbying.
The morning of the bill's May 29, 2007 public hearing before Education Committee, Planned Parenthood put on a slick press conference at the Grand Staircase of the State House. That afternoon in the public hearing, they had dozens of "expert" panels testifying for the need for sex education. Many of the state's major homosexual activists were also there to push hard. The odious "KnowThyNeighbor" homosexual "husband-and-husband" team was there trying to intimidate parents by taking their pictures at close range.
MassResistance report (with photos) on May 29, 2007 public hearing for bill H597.
Planned Parenthood's "Care for Youth" coalition, at morning press conference.
But it didn't work. The tidal wave of outrage again overwhelmed the Education Committee, with relentless pressure. And although the bill's sponsors tried hard to revive it near the end of the session, it again died in committee.
So they're re-filing the bill again for the new session in January. The phony "Care for Youth Coalition" website has announced that they're coming back again, even harder. As Linda Thayer observed, "Nearly half the coalition members pushing the bill are promoters and enablers of abortion, birth control, homosexual sex and sex outside of marriage, all forces emboldened by recent electoral victories."
Coalition's announcement about re-filing the bill.
The Coalition members: Ever-expanding list of left-wing groups. Here are a few of the people on this esteemed "coalition." Are these the groups you want helping decide on what your kids are taught in school?
Gloucester High School Health Center
Greater Boston PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays)
Harvard Students for Choice
Keshet, Inc.
NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts
National Organization for Women - Massachusetts Chapter
Our Bodies Ourselves
Physicians for Reproductive Health and Choice
Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
Wellesley Women for Choice
Complete list of Care for Youth Coalition from website.
And they're using the same tactics of misrepresentations and outright lies to push their agenda. They tell people that this is all "age-appropriate" and that it's all part of a "healthy" package that includes of nutrition, mental health, safety, substance abuse violence prevention, and other buzz-words. As their website says,
"Research shows that medically accurate, age-appropriate health education is essential in preventing the health problems affecting today's youth. Comprehensive health education includes important topics such as: nutrition, mental health, safety, reproduction and sexuality, substance abuse and violence prevention."
Underneath all the slick talk it's still the same outrageous radical bill that it was when they first filed it two years ago.