[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 22, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
   EDUCATION BILL FUNDS SHOULD NOT GO TO PROMOTE HOMOSEXUAL LIFESTYLE

  (Mr. HANCOCK asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks, and include extraneous 
matter.)
  Mr. HANCOCK. Mr. Speaker, later today the House will consider my 
amendment to H.R. 6. To refresh the memory of my colleagues, my 
amendment provides that no school which receives funds under H.R. 6 be 
allowed to have a program or activity which promotes homosexuality as a 
positive alternative lifestyle.
  Some opponents of this amendment have tried to exaggerate its effect, 
suggesting we would shut down AIDS education, sex education, and gag 
school counselors from providing factual information. All of these 
claims are false.
  We are targeting the blatant advocacy of the homosexual lifestyle. 
Classes and counselors which give unbiased, factual information about 
AIDS and sex are unaffected by this amendment.
  Let me give you one example of what we are talking about.
  In New York City, under the auspices of an AIDS conference, students 
as young as 12 were given access to these graphic--perhaps even 
pornographic--brochures advocating ``fisting,'' anal sex, and other 
homosexual acts as safe, healthy, and desirable.
  I include for the Record these items and the newspaper article 
describing them, be printed following my remarks, and I encourage 
Members to see for themselves what it is we are trying to stop.

               [From the Washington Times, Mar. 18, 1994]

             N.Y. Youth AIDS Forum Leaves Parents Horrified

                            (By Joyce Price)

       A New York City youth AIDS conference that ``impressed'' 
     AIDS czar Kristine Gebbie has outraged parents with its 
     distribution of fliers on anal sex and other homosexual 
     practices to children as young as 12.
       The Feb. 12 conference at New York University Medical 
     Center was sponsored by the New York Department of Education, 
     featured Miss Gebbie as its ``VIP'' speaker and displayed 
     pamphlets from the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC).
       ``The material the Gay Men's Health Crisis gave out to 
     children . . . depicted risky and dangerous activities,'' 
     said parent Joanne Gough, a member of the AIDS Advisory 
     Council to the New York Board of Education. ``The [city-wide 
     school] board and the chancellor are definitely going to have 
     to address this issue.''
       Mary Cummins, a local school board member, said she 
     examined some material distributed at the conference and was 
     ``horrified.''
       ``I'm a grandmother. .  .  . I thought I'd seen and heard 
     everything,'' said Mrs. Cummins, who led the fight against 
     the city's curriculum teaching acceptance of homosexuality. 
     ``When the homosexuals are hitting on kids like this, it 
     becomes my business.''
       In a Feb. 28 letter to Ramon Cortines, chancellor of New 
     York's public schools, Miss Gebbie lauded the conference, 
     saying she ``was most impressed by the .  .  . event and 
     would like to be supportive of appropriate follow-up.''
       Miss Gebbie, national AIDS policy coordinator, was not 
     aware of the sexually explicit material handed out during the 
     conference, said her spokesman, John Gurrola.
       But critics say she was told that the ``Conference of Peer 
     Educators: Youth Teaching Youth About HIV/AIDS'' would 
     include workshops on subjects such as ``sex options,'' 
     ``eroticizing safer sex'' and the ``wonderful world of 
     latex.''
       On Feb. 9, Richard W. Caunitz, a Rockland County, N.Y., 
     lawmaker, faxed Miss Gebbie a letter noting many of the 
     conference's scheduled events. Mr. Caunitz pointed out that 
     ``attendees as young as 12'' would be exposed to those topics 
     at the conference, which he said was being convened by GMHC.
       He told Miss Gebbie he found it ``extremely disturbing to 
     learn you are being featured as the VIP speaker.''
       Miss Gebbie responded to Mr. Caunitz's letter on Feb. 28, 
     saying the conference ``was sponsored by the teens themselves 
     through Gay Men's Health Crisis, who provided some funding.''
       GMHC has denied that it organized, sponsored or convened 
     the event. The group says it was one of at least 19 
     organizations that contributed money to the event.
       A program identifies the New York Department of Education's 
     High School HIV/AIDS Resource Center as a conference sponsor 
     and GMHC as a ``patron.'' Other ``patrons'' included the AIDS 
     and Adolescents Network and the Unitarian Church of All Souls 
     AIDS Task Force.
       ``The Board of Education's fingerprints are all over it,'' 
     said John D. Hartigan, a lawyer who monitors New York's 
     education system. ``There will be a lot of enraged people at 
     the next public board meeting on March 23 demanding that it 
     cut all ties with the Gay Men's Health Crisis.''
       New York school officials have distanced themselves from 
     the graphic fliers handed out at the gathering, which the 
     Village voice said was attended by more than ``250 .  .  . 
     predominantly black and Latino youth.''
       ``The materials that created problems were not materials we 
     prepared or authorized,'' schools spokesman Frank Sobrino 
     said. ``They were not Board of Education materials.''
       Details about the sexually explicit material were first 
     reported by Ray Kerrison, a columnist for the New York Post, 
     and syndicated columnist Mona Charen.
       GMHC has rejected suggestions by Mr. Kerrison and Mrs. 
     Charen that the purpose of the conference was to recruit 
     children into the homosexual lifestyle.
       ``The purpose of the conference was AIDS prevention and 
     education, something that is needed urgently by young people 
     in New York,'' said Jeff Richardson, GMHC executive director.
       Mr. Hartigan, who is representing some parents upset about 
     the conference, said he obtained copies of some of the 
     leaflets from a 14-year-old, whom conference opponents had 
     sent in as a spy.
       He said he was most concerned about some material put out 
     by the GMHC and its Lesbian AIDS Project. The ``Safer Sex 
     Handbook for Lesbians'' showed pictures of naked women whose 
     nipples and navels were penetrated by brass rings. Another 
     picture, he said, showed a naked woman with her legs spread 
     apart as a clenched fist approached.
       Another leaflet available was earmarked for black youths 
     who ``do men.'' Mr. Hartigan said the leaflet was ``written 
     in rap and very foul street language'' and it advised young 
     men that they can engage safely in anal or oral sex if they 
     use condoms.
       That's a ``life-threatening medical lie . . .. It's 
     suicidal,'' Mr. Hartigan said.
       Mr. Hartigan said the youth was sent to the conference 
     because an early registration form indicated that it was an 
     event for people ``between the ages of 12 and 24.''
       GMHC said it gave out explicit materials because 
     participants were young people ``conversant with difficult 
     sexual information'' who had voluntarily attended the 
     conference. The group said it distributed the materials only 
     to those who requested them.
       ``Out of 250 attendees, there were a total of two 12-year-
     olds and 10 young people 15 or under,'' the group said.

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