[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 112 (Friday, August 12, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
               A CONSTITUENT WITH WISDOM BEYOND HIS YEARS

                                 ______


                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, August 12, 1994

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I recently received a letter from a young man 
in my district who wrote after reading about debate on the elementary 
and secondary education bill. He was as shocked and disappointed as I 
have been by the fear mongering and grandstanding in both Chambers on 
the issue of gay and lesbian lifestyles.
  Most of his letter is included below. This bright student is now 
heading off to college. Despite the best efforts of my colleagues who 
peddle intolerance and bigotry at every opportunity, he has already 
learned important lessons that can't be taught in the classroom.
  The letter follows:

                                                   August 2, 1994.
     Mr. Fortney Pete Stark,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Stark: What I am writing about today is an issue 
     that I have felt strongly about for many years, gay rights. 
     Today when I picked up the San Francisco Examiner, I was 
     shocked. I was literally so angry at the government, which I 
     believe in strongly, that I could have screamed. Apparently, 
     the Senate, and the House, have passed a bill which will cut 
     federal funding to any school which ``teaches acceptance of 
     homosexuality as a lifestyle'' (quoting the examiner). This 
     is the first time I have read anything about this bill, and I 
     am outraged!!!! How on Earth could this kind of bill be 
     passed? Being gay (which I am not, by the way, so that you 
     know that I am not biased in that sense) is just like being 
     black or white, male or female. It doesn't matter. Gay people 
     are just like you and me, no different. They have just chosen 
     to live their life a slightly different way. There has been 
     incredible amounts of discrimination against them, and now we 
     can't even have a teacher tell our impressionable young minds 
     to even ``accept'' homosexuals. I'm not saying to go out and 
     tell everyone to become gay, all I'm asking for is to allow 
     those teachers who want to teach their children that being 
     homosexual is OK, not bad. Yet if this bill passes, no such 
     message can get across.
       If this bill becomes law, we must ask ourselves, ``What 
     kind of message will this give to our youngsters?'' The 
     answer is quite plain. It will send a message that gays are 
     horrible, and weird, and different--not worthy of being in 
     the same room as us, and certainly not worthy or our 
     acceptance. We need more teaching of compassion and 
     acceptance, not less. Apparently Mr. Helms said that the 
     material used in schools was ``disgusting, obscene material 
     that's laid out before school children in this country every 
     day.'' What I would like to know is, what material is he 
     talking about. I have been through 12 years of public 
     schooling, and have seen no such material.
       I am not back in Washington, quite obviously, and do not 
     know the political climate. What is the likelihood that these 
     two bills will come together in the committee, go on to the 
     president and be passed. If he vetoes it, what is the chance 
     that it will be overridden? Frankly, I am scared when I think 
     of this bill passing. It is frightening. I know some gay 
     people, and I can assure you that they are quite normal. In 
     fact, it is likely that you couldn't pick these guys out of a 
     crowd as being gay.
       I am sorry if I have rambled on, but I am quite distressed 
     at hearing of this bill. I literally could not believe my 
     eyes as I was reading the paper. Also, what is your opinion 
     of this bill, and how did you vote on this issue? If 
     possible, could you please clarify any points that I have 
     wrong here (for example: please tell me that this is all a 
     bad dream * * *) about this bill, and exactly what it says.

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