TEXAS JOURNAL, Austin, Texas - Bob Ward, Editor 


April 18, 1996 lead story: 





               AISD's Counseling Endorses Homosexuality 





    Apparently, AISD thinks the schools are not diverse 


enough and need more homosexual pupils.


   According to Caring, AISD's guidance and counseling 


newsletter, the district's diversity program includes advising 


pupils who think they may be gay that homosexuality is per-


fectly acceptable and anyone who doesn't agree, for whatev-


er reason including religious objections, is a bigot who dis-


torts the Bible. 


   This newsletter and other material supporting 


homosexuality has reportedly been distributed to district 


counselors.


   Caring, notes that gay and lesbian youths suffer harass-


ment by peers, sexual abuse,  domestic violence, illness, de-


structive behavior, AIDS and other sexually transmitted dis-


eases, substance abuse, prostitution, suicide, isolation, paren-


tal rejection, running away and low self-esteem.     


  That seems like a lot for a school counselor to take on but 


Caring sees counselors in "a unique position to address the 


developmental issues and mental health concerns of ho-


mosexually oriented youth and their families."  There is no 


concern that counselors may not be educated or trained to 


address "mental health concerns" of children or that the fam-


ily should consult a professional therapist.


   Apparently addressing the kids' "mental health concerns" 


does not mean seeing homosexuality as a problem and help-


ing the child discover why he or she has those impulses and 


then helping him overcome them.


   As outlined in Caring it means reinforcing those feelings  


by telling him it's okay and that society, his family, the 


church and anyone else who disagrees is a bigot who hates 


him. For example, counselors are told that gay students 


know society says they are "wrong."  The quotation marks 


tell us that homosexuality isn't really wrong, society is just 


bigoted and ignorant.


   Counselors are advised to "be aware of the cultural roles 


which may affect the students."  This includes religious and 


moral teachings which are defined as obstacles to a child 


"attaining"  what is called "a lifestyle of non-concealment." 


   Contrary to what we're told, the celebrated "wall of sepa-


ration" between church and state does not prevent a public 


school from teaching the Bible, provided what is taught is 


politically correct.


    For example, children may learn in church that the Bible 


condemns homosexuality. But AISD's theologians correct 


what they consider a  doctrinal error.  Counselors are in-


formed that "scholars and theologians confer (sic) that refer-


ences to homosexuality in the Bible are questionable at 


best." A reading list includes two books about the Bible 


(Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism by Bishop John 


Spong and What the Bible Really Says About 


Homosexuality  by Daniel Helminiak) but not the Bible it-


self.


   Parents are treated as contemptuously as religion. Guide-


lines admonish counselors to "respect confidentiality" and 


not snitch to parents. They are asked to "Imagine . . . the 


boy who's (sic) parents withhold affection because they fear 


it may make him effeminate."


  They're advised to warn pupils about confiding in parents 


because they "will probably respond based on a lifetime of 


information from a homophobic society."  Because parents 


financially support their children, pupils are warned not to 


tell parents they're gay "until they do not have this weapon to 


hold over you."


   Alternatives to parents are listed. They include: AIDS Ser-


vices of Austin, a tax-supported agency whose publications 


feature salacious pictures and gratuitous crudity of language; 


Out Youth  Austin, a homosexual group that advertises in 


Austin school papers with a hotline kids can call to avoid in-


volving parents; and "self-identified affirming  counselors" 


on campus.


   Most people consider heterosexuality normal, like having 


two ears, and not something that needs explaining.  AISD  


rejects that claiming only about half the population is hetero-


sexual.  And a "Heterosexual Questionnaire" asks such ques-


tions as: "What do you think caused your heterosexuality?" 


and "When and how did you first decide you were a hetero-


sexual?" The point is that heterosexuality is not the normal 


state. 


   Accordingly, the right to marry is labeled an unwarranted 


privilege enjoyed by heterosexuals and unjustly denied to 


gays.  Counselors are told their own attitudes must conform 


to "current scientific knowledge" which considers homo-


sexuality "a normal variation of sexual expression."


   To advance the notion that homosexuality is normal 


teachers are told to use same sex couples in math word 


problems and to problems and to develop "gay history" 


curricula.


   Schools are admonished to halt such "inappropriate" 


practices as inviting "spouses" but not "friends" and encour-


aging students to date members of the opposite sex. Assem-


blies and film nights with homo- sexual content are recom-


mended.


 "All students," counselors are told need "skills for declining 


or accepting romantic/sexual overtures with dignity."  


Parents can be grateful the public schools will teach their 


kids to swing either way -- with dignity.