The Evesham School District of Marlton, New Jersey, under fire over a diversity-education film depicting same-sex families, has bowed to pressure and decided to eliminate the film from its curriculum. (See my original post on the matter.)
Garden State Equality is asking everyone who can to join them and many other allies at the Evesham School Board meeting this Tuesday, February 13th at 8:00 pm at the DeMasi Middle School, 199 Evesboro-Medford Road in Marlton. They report:
The film, “That’s a Family,” shows kids being raised by all sorts of families, including single parent families, mixed cultural families, kids raised by grandparents, adopted kids, and kids raised by same-sex couples. The group of parents’ objections to the film are based on its inclusion of kids raised by same-sex couples.
The film has won tremendous praise from educators and child psychologists. It’s won award after award, and was shown at the White House to much acclaim. You can watch clips of “That’s a Family” right now at http://www.womedia.org/thatsafamily.htm. Scroll to the bottom of that webpage and click on “watch clips.”
When you watch the clips, you’ll know exactly why schools across America are incorporating the film into their curriculum. It’s a fantastic, caring, loving film, one that educators and child psychologists have endorsed as being ideal for children of all ages.
A group of prejudiced parents disagree. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, when the school board showed the film to parents:
“One woman stood at her seat and yelled, ‘They’re 8 years old. They don’t need to see homosexual people in the classroom.’ Others called the film ‘adult material’ and said lessons about diversity and tolerance should be taught in the home. And still others were less charitable, calling the inclusion of same-sex parents ‘disgusting.’”
Presciently, I just wrote about same-sex families in the classroom earlier today, so I’ll refer you back to that for my thoughts on this. If you live in or around Marlton, NJ, though, please consider showing your support for all our families on Tuesday.
6:31 pm
Education, Entertainment, Politics and Law
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A.P.B.: Stand up to hate in New Jersey schools at LesbianDad
on Feb 12th, 2007
@ 1:42 pm:
[...] Dana at Mombian alerts us to an urgent battle in New Jersey, where the Evesham School District is buckling to pressure from bigoted parent groups, and eliminating the beautiful documentary “That’s a Family” from their curriculum. [...]
Mombian: Sustenance for Lesbian Moms » Blog Archive » E-mail New Jersey School District About Removal of Diversity Film
on Feb 12th, 2007
@ 2:11 pm:
[...] NJ School District Bows to Prejudice Over Diversity Film [...]
Jeanette
on Feb 13th, 2007
@ 12:11 am:
I guess it may sound like a stupid question, but why does the school district have to show children families? Most of the children are in some sort of family relationship covered by the film. Isn’t it the right of the parents to determine what they want their children to see or not see?
I don’t have a problem with it but it seems the parents should have the final say. There should be a solution to this. If a group of parents do not want their children to see this film allow the children to partake of another activity during the showing of the film.
Just as we can’t force our morals on you, you shouldn’t force them on others who disagree with you. My two cents.
Jeanette
on Feb 13th, 2007
@ 12:12 am:
Just out of curiosity, why is it if I go to any of the Lesbian parenting sites the comments are moderated?
Dana
on Feb 13th, 2007
@ 1:32 am:
I’ll refer you back to my post on Same-Sex Families in the Classroom.
Dana
on Feb 13th, 2007
@ 2:15 am:
Re: post moderation: It hasn’t been my experience that all lesbian parenting sites are moderated. For myself, it’s to catch comment spam–posts sent by automated bots promoting various pharmaceuticals or other services, and unrelated to my posts or even my site. I have some software in place that helps, too, but it doesn’t catch everything.
Jeanette
on Feb 13th, 2007
@ 1:46 pm:
I appreciate your answer but since I have 9 year old, 10 year old and 8 year old grandchildren I would like to pose a question to you.
Since at some point in their lives they will be exposed to all sorts of things does it mean they should be exposed to the “f” word at the age of 8 in school? Or younger, depending on whether someone thinks my family should be exposed to it? Isn’t that a decision best left to the parents? Do they have no say in how their children are educated?
Why isn’t it acceptable for those children who have parents who object to the subject matter to be excused from that classroom during the showing and discussion of the film, and let them do another activity that would involve teaching about families and home lives?
I’ve read some but not a lot of the lesbian mom sites and what I am picking up is you are great parents, but some people don’t want their kids exposed to that lifestyle until they are older. We can’t keep them in a cocoon, I know, but it seems parents’ rights should trump the gay or lesbian wishes for these kids.
Not everyone is as enlightened as you would like them to be. Just as we shouldn’t force ourselves on you, you shouldn’t force yourselves on us, and that’s what you’re trying to do by protesting what the school district may do.
Raise your children the way you want and let others raise theirs the way they see fit. What’s the problem with that?
Ayelet
on Feb 13th, 2007
@ 5:34 pm:
Jeanette, I think the point is that since everyone goes to school, your children will encounter children that are from families different than their own. And I think that the point of the film is that when such an encounter occurs, your children treat those children and their families with the same respect you would like your children to be treated. And vice versa. Difference is, after all, in the eye of the beholder.
Dana
on Feb 14th, 2007
@ 12:52 am:
In theory, a school could let parents choose to have their children do other activities when a film depicting same-sex families is shown. My question is what those children and parents will do when my son brings in a picture of his family for show-and-tell. Is that “forcing ourselves on you”? Does my son need to be told he can’t talk about his family at school? Diversity films are only one way children will be exposed to same-sex families. Opting out of a film, while possible, doesn’t mean avoiding the issue. Watching a film and then discussing it in a classroom can in fact be a good way to let children air their questions and concerns.
I’m also wondering exactly what part of our “lifestyle” you object to. We go to work, do laundry, go grocery shopping, and attend soccer practice and PTA meetings like anyone else. And frankly, with all of that to do, many of us don’t even have sex that much anymore. (And when we do, it’s behind closed doors when the kids are fast asleep.)
Jeanette
on Feb 14th, 2007
@ 5:13 am:
I doubt I said I object to your lifestyle. I said some parents do. I have found interesting reading on the lesbian mom sites and find you are very loving parents as many of us are. It’s too bad everyone isn’t a good parent but that’s another story.
Point taken about your son bringing in photos. I hadn’t thought of that.
Kids can understand a lot better than adults and just go along with the flow which is good. My grandchildren and their parents before them had no problem with people of other races and that’s an improvement over what I saw as a child, particularly since I’m 1/2 American Indian.
I didn’t mean to offend anyone by what I was saying, but I was trying to find out why this was such a hot button issue for you. Now I understand and I totally agree with your point of view.
I had not thought about kids talking about their families in school, as my three grandchildren who are already in school have already done that and gone on to other topics. I do have one who is now 5 and will start school in the fall. He’ll be discussing families, I’m sure.
Thank you for being patient enough to explain to me why this is so important and please forgive me for insulting you in any way.
Jeanette
on Feb 14th, 2007
@ 5:14 am:
PS I know what you mean about the sex not being as frequent. As you get older it will be even less frequent. :) That shows real love and not just lust.
Mombian: Sustenance for Lesbian Moms » Blog Archive » New Jersey School District to Review Same-Sex Family Video
on Mar 13th, 2007
@ 3:03 am:
[...] The Evesham School District of Marlton, New Jersey, eliminated a diversity film from its curriculum in early February after some parents protested its inclusion of same-sex families. (Here’s my original post on the matter, and a follow up, plus an excursus on same-sex families in the classroom.) [...]