After Vetoing Gay Marriage Bill Schwarzenegger Signs 4 Other LGBT Laws

While there has been much coverage of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto of the marriage legislation, he in fact did sign six bills that will improve the lives of millions of LGBT Californians and their families. One bill, SB 777, will require the Department of Education to monitor the way schools adhere to the state's anti-bias laws and specifically mandates the department to ensure the protection of LGBT students. This bill has the fundies going absolutely beserk and foaming at the mouth. The bill states:

“No teacher shall give instruction nor shall a school district sponsor any activity that promotes a discriminatory bias against any person because of a characteristic listed in Section 220. [Section 220 of the Education Code includes “sexual orientation”.] No textbook or other instructional materials shall be adopted by the state board or by any governing board for use in the public schools that reflects or promotes a discriminatory bias against any person because of a characteristic listed in Section 220.”

One would think the world was ending based on the hysteria found on Christianist web sites. The spittle is flying everywhere much to my delight, I might add. Here are some examples of "Christian" love at its finest:

Catholics for the Common Good: "SB 777 is a bill that will likely promote discrimination and bigotry against people who understand marriage is the foundation of the family that provides children with a mother and father. Thanks to the Governor Schwarzenegger, viewpoint discrimination is now enshrined in California law." "Current law already protects homosexuals, bisexuals and transgendered people from discrimination, but SB 777 will actually lead to the inclusion of advocacy for behaviors and lifestyle choices of protected classes in school instruction and activities when it takes effect in January, 2008." "The new law is so radical, it deletes the definition of students' sex – the objective reality of being male or female – and replaces it with the subjective construction of gender as determined by students."

Capitol Resource Institute: Under the guise of preventing discrimination and bias against homosexuals, transgenders and other sexual variants, SB 777 will force innocent school children to accept alternative lifestyles. “We are shocked and appalled that the governor has blatantly attacked traditional family values in California,” stated Karen England, Executive Director of Capitol Resource Institute. “With this decision, Governor Schwarzenegger has told parents that their values are irrelevant. Many parents will have no choice but to pull their children out of the public schools that have now become sexualized indoctrination centers.” “SB 777 will result in reverse discrimination against students with religious and traditional family values.” Governor Schwarzenegger has signed into the law the highly controversial SB 777 (Kuehl) that will permit transgender students to enter the locker rooms and restrooms of the gender with which they identify. “School boys have always made excuses to get into girls locker rooms–now they won’t need any because it will be a state-sanctioned policy,” stated England.

Americans for Truth (Peter LaBarbera a/k/a Porn Pete's newist Christianist organization): Teaching California Kindergarteners to be Transsexual, Bisexual and Homosexual? By prohibiting any textbook or instruction “reflecting adversely” upon a variety of sexual lifestyles, SB 777 would, in effect, require all instruction to positively portray transsexuality, bisexuality and homosexuality because silence on these sexual lifestyles would no longer be permitted. Consequently, schools would have to promote “same-sex marriages” and even sex-change procedures. “SB 777 requires all teachers, all textbooks, and all instructional materials to promote cross-dressing, sex-change operations, bisexuality, and homosexuality, including homosexual ‘marriages,’” said Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families (CCF), a leading California-based pro-family organization, who observed today’s pro-SB 777 rally at the State Capitol. The new, “non-discriminatory” materials would have to include:
• Sex-change handouts (Omitting sex-change material in sex education class would “reflect adversely”)

• Transvestite speakers (Limiting classroom speakers to biologically-born men and biologically-born women would “reflect adversely”)

• Transsexual, bisexual and homosexual videos (Showing videos depicting only the traditional family or man-woman relationships would “reflect adversely”)

You get the idea. Since California is one of the largest purchaser of school textbooks, any modifications made to textbooks to meet this new legal requirement could spill over into other states where to be sure the Christianist will go crazy as well.