CA Students Civil Rights Act Under Attack

We were delighted two weeks ago when Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 777 (Kuehl) into law, otherwise known as the California Student Civil Rights Act. The Act amends state education codes to strengthen anti-discrimination laws for students; specifically it prohibits discrimination based on a person’s actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity.
Unfortunately, right-wing “family values” advocates don’t want GLBTQQI students protected. Today a referendum for the November 2008 ballot which seeks to nullify SB 777 can begin the process of signature gathering throughout the state. Karen England, Executive Director of the conservative Capitol Resource Institute in Sacramento is the proponent of the referendum. The measure’s outrageous website claims that SB 777 “will result in reverse discrimination against religious students and students with traditional family values.” The name of the website for the referendum? Saveourkids.net. Talk about hypocrisy! Californian women are smarter than the Resource Institute thinks—we know how to really save our kids---and we know that anti-gay bias has no place in the classroom!