The nation's first school district to implement pro-"gay" teachings is now taking another step to advance the agenda.
The Los Angeles Unified School District is teaming up with the LA Gay & Lesbian Center, among others, to address lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) bullying. The district describes Project SPIN (Suicide Prevention Intervention Now) as an initiative to train teachers and allow project staff to intervene on campuses.
LA Unified claims it would like to see a shift in the district's culture, but Forrest Turpen of Christian Educators Association International (CEAI) interprets it differently.
"If they are setting a goal to change the culture, I would have to interpret it as trying to provide teachers with tools to change the culture of what's trained from the home about what's right and what's wrong," he offers.
"It runs into, from a Christian perspective, the issue that we're talking about in terms of gay and lesbian issues. So if they're doing that, then they're intervening in the lives of students and taking away parents' rights."
The Los Angeles Times reports that nearly 4,000 school officials, teachers, students and parents have been trained on LGBT bullying and suicide prevention. Sometimes the sessions simply aim to make people comfortable with the term "gay."
In 2005, LA Unified became the nation's first district to implement a health book that included a chapter devoted to LGBT issues,; and last year, state law required school districts to highlight the contributions individuals in those groups have made to society.