Family Council claims success in stopping anti-bullying efforts in Anoka-Hennepin

The word “God” is on obscenity on this woman’s lips.

What Barb is advocating for is a format to pschologically invalidate young GLBT kids despite what over 477,000 professional and accredited organizations say. She only wants young heterosexual kids to be affirmed and calls our gay youths “confused.” She wants to be able to get her grubby fundie hands on these kids identities and INDOCTRINATE them into thinking that they are “sexually broken” and “confused.” What Babs doesnt want any of you to know is that they have created off-shoots of reputable organizations that churn out their fundamentalist swill.
Here are the facts from the REAL orgs, not the SPLC’s Hate Groups.

These professional bodies unanimously state:1. Homosexuality is an normal, naturally occurring trait 2. “Reparative therapy” or “conversion therapy” does not work and is harmful to those subjected to it.

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

Sexual orientation and homosexualityhttp://www.apa.org/helpcenter/sexual-orientation.aspx

Homosexuality: Nature or NurtureRyan D. Johnson April 30, 2003http://allpsych.com/journal/homosexuality.html

APA Officially Rejects Reorientation Treatment for Homosexuals — Overwhelming research from the past hundred years rejected due to “serious design flaws.”http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/aug/09080608.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION

POSITION STATEMENT Homosexuality and Civil RightsApproved by the Board of Trustees, December 1973Approved by the Assembly, 1973http://www.psych.org/Departments/EDU/Library/APAOfficialDocumentsandRelated/PositionStatements/197310.aspx

POSITION STATEMENT Therapies Focused on Attempts to Change Sexual Orientation (Reparative or Conversion Therapies)Approved by the Board of Trustees, March 2000Approved by the Assembly, May 2000

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

AMA Policy Regarding Sexual Orientationhttp://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/member-groups-sections/glbt-advisory-committee/ama-policy-regarding-sexual-orientation.shtml

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS

Policy Statement: Homosexuality and Adolescence (RE9332)http://web.archive.org/web/20031212181440/http://www.aap.org/policy/05072.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS

Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Issueshttp://www.socialworkers.org/resources/abstracts/abstracts/lesbian.asp

Position Statement: “Reparative” and “Conversion” Therapies for Lesbians and Gay Menhttp://www.socialworkers.org/diversity/lgb/reparative.asp?print=1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UNITED PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS REJECT “REPARATIVE THERAPY” also called “CONVERSION THERAPY”http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_expr.htm

The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Counseling Association, American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychological Association, American School Health Association, Interfaith Alliance Foundation, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers, and National Education Association formed the “Just the Facts Coalition.” They developed and endorsed “Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth: A Primer for Principals, Educators and School Personnel” in 1999.

The primer says, in part:

“The most important fact about ‘reparative therapy,’ also sometimes known as ‘conversion’ therapy, is that it is based on an understanding of homosexuality that has been rejected by all the major health and mental health professions. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the National Association of Social Workers, together representing more than 477,000 health and mental health professionals, have all taken the position that homosexuality is not a mental disorder and thus there is no need for a ‘cure.’

“…health and mental health professional organizations do not support efforts to change young people’s sexual orientation through ‘reparative therapy’ and have raised serious concerns about its potential to do harm.” 

Hey Bab’s… How much are you being paid to pass this dangerous FRAUD???

So what does the district/school board have to say about all this? Are they supporting her and her ridiculous statements? If yes, I want names and contact info.

Kevin,
The school board is on the exact same page as this evil person. The school board is not supporting HER, she is supporting them. The school board, with testimony from parents and kids saying how their kids were bullied, said that there was no proof any suicides were suicide related. Go look up the Anoka school board. Those are the names and contacts.

Translating Barb Anderson: “Stop coming out of the closet and we won’t have to beat you to death”. Seriously, blame the victim? Maybe Barb should sign up for some “ex-lunatic” therapy, but it would probably be as effective on her as the “ex-gay” fraud she promotes.

This woman makes me sick.

It is hard to tell the difference any more between The Parents Action League and the AH School Board. They seem to be morphed together into one big pile of HATE!

This womans mentality is of the Dark Ages when religion and religious groups were perfectly within their rights to banish the ones they hated in the name of their god or simply murder them which all to often they did.

The constitution forbids people like this and our governments from creating a system of religious laws. Her and her groups are what’s dangerous not only for children but all citizens of the U.S. She is promoting civil unrest through religious corruption.

People came to this country to escape the terror and murderous ways of religion. But what amazes me is that they began to do the same thing. This woman is nothing but the same old murderous religious crusader of days gone by.

Here are the original founders of the incredibly anti-gay Exodus International an MFC affiliate (who recently have fueled anti-gay hatred and genocidal Kill The Gays legislation in Uganda and broader Africa) You should here what they have to say about ‘reparative torture’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDiYeJ_bsQo

What I find hilarious, in an evil hateful way, is how this lady says the GAYS comprise only 2-3% of the population, yet she has her followers convinced to fear this BIG GAY ARMY and their BIG GAY AGENDA. Do these folks lack all intellectual curiosity and ability to question things that can’t even be remotely true?

The wackos and their form of “Christianity” is going to be the death of this country.

Jesus Christ!! I HATE Christians!! I really do!!!

Marcus, Chill a little. Responding to hate with hate is not the answer. Let’s try educating the masses to render the hateful neutered.

Barb Anderson,

With all do respect Ma’am, you lie. You lie through your teeth to promote your religious beliefs. You seem to not care who you hurt as long as it promotes your radical dogma. People like you are some of the most dangerous citizens in our community. If you do read this I would like for you to explain the facts you gathered to defend your statements listed below.

“This is a real dangerous organization. They are what I would call a child corruption organization basically.”

“It’s interesting that they targeted an arts school to begin with because a lot of times your have homosexual teachers in that type of environment working with students,”

“None of this is based on truth or scientific fact, especially if they are telling kids they are born this way.”

“Really homosexual behavior is one of the most hazardous behaviors that kids could get into and start practicing.”

“I really think we can win with God’s grace,” she said. “We can stand against this onslaught by training our children. We have to teach them the truth to begin with. When you look at the homosexual population, they are only 2 to 3 percent of the population. We outnumber them by far, but we need to step forward with boldness and be reminded that we have the truth on our side.”

This last statement seems to be a window into the mind of a dangerous and spiteful person. At NO time should the will and desire of a majority dictate the ability of a minority to lead a peaceful and productive life. According to this statement, ALL minorities should be subserviant to the majority. This is NOT an American ideology. This is coming dangerously close to a fascist mentality.

Also at the end of the last statement you state that you have the “truth” on your side. What is this “truth” that you speak of? You are the researcher for your organization so I would like to see the bibliography and all related information that you have used to discover this “truth”. Have you tested this “truth” against known facts? Have you allowed dissenting arguments to be stated to discover the validity of this “truth”? Please show me YOUR research if you have any or you will be labeled a FRAUD.

Anderson is following the ancient code of the bully, that being the victim goading the bully to action by merely existing.

About the only thing that’s going to stop these homophobes is when they fade from the scene.

Meanwhile we need to maintain vigilence, action and education on the evils of bigotry.

FWIW, Marcus, my approach in this public forum is to offer as much as possible useful, sound information for those in “the vast movable middle” which include many fair-minded people of different faiths to reach their own conclusions including hopefully rejection of those words and actions that reek of hatred, fear-mongering, ignorance and intolerance.

As a parent, I will fight this form of hate and oppression for as long as I live. I too like this evil person vote on the family values platform and tight moral structure. For our family the corner stone of moral structure is equality and social justice. I do not have a gay family member (one that I know of , my children are not through the developemental stages yet, and have not identified themselves) I am not gay myself, I actually have been married to the same man for over 20 years, waited 10 years of marriage before having the first one. I stay at home with my children. I donate my time and money to many different organizations for many different needs. I believe all children should be taken care of and that we all are responsible for each other as a community.

it would be nice to say that women got equal rights because a woman stood up to say stop, its not fair, but that wasn’t the case, it was a man that signed the laws and agreed. It would be nice to say that a person of color stood up and said stop enough, but it was a white male that said ok and signed the laws and bills. It will take families like mine (a-typical “straight”) to stand up and say…

STOP ITS NOT FAIR, ALL PEOPLE OF ALL DESIGNS ARE OK. IF YOU DON’T LIKE SOMETHING THAN TAKE IT AND LIVE IT YOURSELF. DO NOT INDOCTRINATE ME OR THE WORLD WITH YOUR BELIEFS. ITS OPPRESSIVE, ITS DEGRADING AND ITS MORALLY WRONG!

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/minnesota-religious-right-activist-blames-lgbt-rights-advocates-anti-gay-bullying

“They made me do it”???
That’s their argument?

They will fight to the end to keep reality out of their imaginary world.

The blood of every LGB & T youth who commits suicide in the Anoka-Hennepin School District in the next 12 months – AT LEAST – is on the hands of the Minnesota Family Council.

A primary goal for the 21st century: eliminate the ability of traditionalist, conservative religious zealots, regardless of creed or country, to degrade human life: hobble the human mind, restrict legitimate freedoms (speech, reproduction, sexual expression), corrupt education with religious dogmas and anti-thought/anti-science, brainwash children’s minds with sectarian myths, damage scientific research, and more. The time to begin is now.

Following up on Kate’s comment, it would be FAR, FAR better to be PRO-ACTIVE and somehow get the word out to LGBT and other students attending Anoka-Hennepin that they are not alone, that there are resources available to help them even as others in and outside the school district continue to let them down. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME on the AH School Board, Minnesota Family Council, the Parents Action League, Barb Anderson and others who pander to these entities!

Lane,

Following on your call for a more proactive approach.

1) It would be useful to have a pro-GLBT counselor and therapist in close but discreet proximity to local schools, making access easy for GLBT youth. The existence/location of the therapist could be announced by heavy flyering of the area.

2) High school campus-based gay straight alliance groups could be used to hold large rallies, events, conferences and whatnot on school campuses. These could be held, let’s say, once a semester. Statewide funding from GLBT allies could bring in celebrity gays and lesbians like Adam Lambert or Dan Savage.

3) Two all ages shows, complete with literature tables and info about resources, would begin on a Friday night, featuring a big lineup of local bands. It could be billed as a Rock for Love, or Rock for Love/Stop the Hate rally. Then, events would take place all day Saturday–talks, panels, etc., followed up by more music Sat. night with the final act being…

Lady Gaga.

Thinking bigger yet, given the gay suicides in the area, I wonder if it wouldn’t be possible to attract several big name performing acts to play in the area to raise awareness, and give hope to GLBT youth. It could be the start of a nationwide series of music-oriented awareness-raising, resource-developing events held in the ‘high hate’ areas of the country.

All of this is totally doable. It just takes some effort. What would it be worth to prevent more deaths and provide hope for better days ahead?

Commenters: Well done. Ms. Anderson and Mr. Labarbara are members of bona fide hate groups as defined by the Southern Poverty Law Center (http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2010/winter). These organizations continue to use psuedo-science, cherry picked lines from professional research to demonize and oppress the LGBT community. Their own dogma tells them to love thy neighbor, turn the other cheek, and their own messiah said “To the least of these, you have done unto me”. Their own religion tells them to stop hating and to love one another as themselves and yet, they cannot see past their own bigoted hatred to keep their own faith. HYPOCRITES. The question remains: Will the community of AH stand up to the bigots who want to continue to psychologically torture, bully and abuse a segment of our youth into suicide? YES OR NO?

Truly one of the most ignorant and homophobic commentaries I’ve read in a very long time. You can’t force a straight person to be gay. It is virtually impossible. Does that mean, given enough time, that Ms. Anderson could be enticed into the “gay lifestyle”? Because that’s exactly what’s she’s implying is happening to students in school. Of course, she doesn’t have a shred of proof that any of this is actually happening. But that doesn’t stop people like Ms. Anderson from continuing to promote these bald-faced lies as facts.

Where exactly are these tens-of-thousands of children that have been “indoctrinated” into the gay lifestyle? You’d think they’d be on every news program telling their horrific story about how they were once happily straight, but were forced to change their sexual orientation against their will. According to Ms. Anderson, no one has free-will when it comes to determining their own sexual orientation. It can be forced upon you at any moment, whether you want it to or not. Anyone with the smallest amount of intelligence can see how completely ludicrous her beliefs are.

“There’s lots of “hate money” in them there hills!” These people prey on ignorance and spread untruths all to fatten their wallets..let’s face it folks..it’s all about money…

These people belong behind bars as far as I’m concerned. They have the blood of young kids on their hands. Yes..young kids that resort to suicide because they are told that they are going to hell by people like these…all because of who they are. Being gay is certainly not a choice. If there is reincarnation I hope these people in their next lives are gay and in THIS society. Then they can see how much of a “choice” being gay is!

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Don’t push your luck.

That whore Barb probably masturbates to the thought of those dead kids torment and suicide, or at least to the money she made off of it. And I’m certainly not overreacting. It is hard to understand her kind of evil. She might as well be abusing children directly for pay.

No Nachman, you don’t push your luck! Take your christianist and bullying threats elswhere, like back under the bridge you trolls live. Your crap doesn’t fly here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm0ydmS0crA
Anti-gay leader Peter LaBarbera (Americans for Truth About Homosexuality) freely admits to using the discredited work of Paul Cameron. Cameron has been rebuked and censured by many medical organizations and individuals for the bad methodology he uses to demonize the lgbt community.

Nachman–you show signs of delusion and fanaticism. In previous posts you’ve mischaracterized the motives for GLBT rights, calling them nihilistic and postmodern. You don’t appear to know what these terms mean, nor do you appear to show even the slightest awareness of the actual historical motives and deep philosophical/moral rationales for the push for GLBT rights.

Instead of rational reflection, you huff yourself up with manly posturing and pseudo moral outrage.

Are you even capable of using reason to think this issue through? Or, is the sum of your cognitive skills thus: prejudice masquerading as morality driven by anger?

Nachman… You are absolutely correct, and with all the hate, and prejudice, miss justice, and civil unrest that the christian Right has thrown at the people, and all the bully’s they personally have produced within their chuches (since the marjority of the bully’s are coming straight from christian households) there will be a reaction. A reaction you will have to endure for the moral crimes YOU have committed.

Wendy and me,

I believe Nachman mentioned in response to a different article that he is Jewish. He’ll have to confirm that if he cares to.

But this begs the question of where the opposition to GLBT equality is coming from. It’s not strictly the Christian right or even necessarily the religious right, although they certainly play a part. It seems to be cultural and social conservatives generally who are opposed.

I recall a televised speech by gay marriage proponent Jonathan Rauch. In the audience was cultural conservative Leon Kass (formerly on Bush’s Presidential Council on Bioethics, and currently associated with the right-wing American Enterprise Institute), who threw up some bogus argument against gay marriage. My point–Kass appears to be mostly secular in his outlook, even though he is as reactionary as many religious zealots when it comes to GLBT equality.

I am a mom of a gay son and I am a minister. I am only responding now, because this was just shown to me. With all due respect, I find what Barb Anderson said and what the family council to be doing to be offensive and wrong. If kids are being bullied and harrassed or struggling with their sexual identity and you look the other way, or silence those who could help them, you are aiding in their harm and deaths. Even if you don’t believe homosexuality is okay, it does not mean you cannot help those kids. By the policy and stance you are taking, you are further isolating them.
And for those who took objection, to the statement, ” I really think we can win with God’s grace,” God’s grace has nothing to do with it. That is not the God of the Bible, or the grace represented by Jesus who met people where they were as they were, with love and acceptance of who they are as persons.
Please do not misrepresent God, for I believe if Jesus were there walking in those schools, he would be walking alongside the kids who are gay, loving, guiding, and protecting them.

I don’t believe in heaven and hell. But if they do exist, I believe ole Barby baby will be feeling the flames soon…